Priority Needs for Developing Entrepreneurial Mindset of Tubkaew Kindergarten School Teachers

Abstract

This research article aimed to study the priority needs for developing the entrepreneurial mindset of Tubkaew Kindergarten School teachers. The study employed a qualitative research methodology. The research site was Tubkaew Kindergarten School. The key informants were one school director and seven teachers, totaling eight participants. They were selected through purposive selection based on their roles related to school administration and learning experience provision. The instrument for collecting data was a semi-structured interview form. Data were analyzed using content analysis, and frequency distribution was used to indicate the trends of issues mentioned by the key informants. The research results revealed that teachers demonstrated commitment to developing themselves and learners, recognized the importance of learning experience provision that promotes early childhood development through play, hands-on learning, and diverse activities, and were able to appropriately apply available materials and resources to support children’s learning. However, the priority needs for developing teachers’ entrepreneurial mindset focused on two key components: goal orientation and creativity and innovation. Goal orientation was the most frequently mentioned component. The findings reflected that some teachers’ work goals were still mainly directed by the school director rather than being systematically set by teachers themselves for their own professional development and learner development. Therefore, teachers should be supported in developing confidence in setting goals, monitoring learners’ development, and continuously driving their professional growth. Creativity and innovation were the second most frequently mentioned component. The findings showed that teachers had a foundation in creatively using available resources but still needed support in being open to new ideas, taking initiative, experimenting, and adapting learning experience provision to suit young children’s development and individual differences. Important development mechanisms included professional learning communities, coaching and mentoring, and hands-on workshops with practice and reflection. These mechanisms can support collaborative learning, feedback, and continuous development of teachers’ entrepreneurial mindset, which can contribute to enhancing the quality of learning experience provision and promoting early childhood development in alignment with the school context in the long term.