Guidelines for Organizing Activities to Promote Democracy in Schools Through the Professional Learning Community Process of Teachers under the Office of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Primary Educational Service Area 2

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) study the current situation, desired situation, and priority needs of guidelines for organizing activities to promote democracy in schools through the Professional Learning Community (PLC) process for teachers, and 2) propose appropriate guidelines for implementing such activities. The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data were collected from 306 teachers in 157 schools under the Office of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Primary Educational Service Area 2. The sample was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s table and selected through simple random sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire assessing the current and desired situations. In the second phase, guidelines were developed through semi-structured interviews with 7 key informants selected by purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicated that the current situation, desired situation, and priority needs regarding guidelines for organizing democracy-promoting activities through the PLC process were at a high level overall. The proposed guidelines comprised three key areas. First, schools should establish common goals for democracy-promoting activities through regular monthly meetings, collaboration among schools, and the development of professional networks, while also providing opportunities for students to reflect on teachers’ instructional practices. Second, democratic learning resources should be developed, and channels should be created for students to provide feedback on teaching and learning, such as through websites managed by the educational service area office, with the information used to improve learning management collaboratively. Third, opportunities should be provided for teachers to exchange knowledge and experiences related to democratic activities, develop professional skills, and identify model schools that can serve as learning centers for other schools. In addition, administrators should support training programs and projects that encourage student participation in democratic activities, thereby enhancing teachers’ professionalism and fostering democratic values and behaviors among students