DEVELOPING A MODEL FOR ENHANCING CHARACTER STRENGTHS IN SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN RURAL IMPOVERISHED AREAS THROUGH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

Abstract

Pre-service teachers from rural impoverished areas often encounter challenges in developing their potential and building self-confidence, which significantly affects their learning efficiency and readiness to become professional educators. This research aimed to 1) Enhance the character strengths of scholarship-awarded pre-service teachers from rural impoverished areas and 2) Synthesize a model for enhancing their character strengths through participatory action research. The study was divided into two phases. The initial phase focused on preparation to ensure the participants comprehended their roles and participation. The subsequent phase involved the action research process. The participants comprised 24 final-year pre-service teachers enrolled in the Kru Rak Thin project at the Faculty of Education of a university in the Northeastern region. The research instruments included the Appreciation-Influence-Control technique, participant observation, and after-action review journals. Qualitative data were analyzed utilizing content analysis. The findings revealed that the participants continuously and systematically applied their character strengths across four cycles of the research process. They demonstrated significant development from fundamental strengths awareness to effective application in real-world situations. Furthermore, the synthesized character strengths enhancement model termed the NCSCS Model consists of five steps. These steps are 1) Nurturing positivity for personal growth, 2) Collaborative strength exploration, 3) Synergistic goal selection, 4) Collective planning and individual implementation, and 5) Shared reflection and reinforcement. The research outcomes yield significant implications for fostering self-confidence and assertiveness among pre-service teachers within the Thai cultural context.