An Assessment of the Needs for Developing the Learning Management Ability in Computing science of Elementary Science Teachers under the office of Ubon Ratchathani Primary Education Service Area

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) prioritize the needs for developing science teachers’ competencies in computational science instruction, 2) analyze the causes of the needs for competency development in computational science instruction among science teachers, and 3) propose guidelines for developing such competencies. The sample consisted of 280 primary school teachers with academic qualifications in science who were teaching in the Science and Technology Learning Area under the Office of Ubon Ratchathani Primary Educational Service Area during the 2024 academic year. The research instruments included a questionnaire and an interview form focused on the causes and development guidelines for instructional competencies in computational science. Quantitative data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNI_modified), while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The results found that 1) the prioritized needs for developing competencies in computational science instruction were as follows: the highest need was in designing and organizing learning activities (PNI_modified = 0.31), followed by the use and development of media, innovations, and technology (PNI_modified = 0.30), curriculum development (PNI_modified = 0.28), learning assessment and evaluation (PNI_modified = 0.23), and creating a learning environment (PNI_modified = 0.16), respectively,  2) the most significant cause contributing to the need for competency development was that teachers were assigned to teach content outside their area of academic specialization, and 3) the most recommended guideline for developing teachers’ competencies in computational science instruction was the provision of professional training programs focused on computational science teaching strategies.