PROBLEMS AND NEEDS FOR ENHANCING MANAGEMANT OF SMALL SCHOOLS IN MUEANG CHACHOENGSAO SCHOOL GROUP,CHACHOENGSAO PROVINCE, BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF SCHOOL AS A LEARNING COMMUNITY

Abstract

This research aims to study problems and needs in enhancing management in small-sized schools, specifically those in the Chachoengsao Mueang group, Chachoengsao Province, based on the concept of school as a learning community. The study employed qualitative research methods, specifically case study research, focusing on selected three schools using purposive sampling. Data sources included personnel (3 administrators, 11 teachers), documents, and observations.

The research findings indicated that: 1) Parental confidence in the school was lacking due to incomplete staffing across all grade levels. Students attending small schools often had to study in combined classrooms, resulting in parents opting to enroll their children in schools with better preparedness and more comprehensive staffing. This led to a decrease in student enrollment in small schools. Consequently, staff positions, teacher allocations, and budget allocations were insufficient. Thus, there was a need to instill confidence in parents to increase student enrollment. 2) Schools lacked direct school administrators, resulting in a lack of official leadership and coordination support to promote and reinforce the application of knowledge. The absence of formal leadership led to a lack of performance monitoring, and teaching methods remained unchanged, with teachers still teaching in their classrooms without formalized collaborative teaching and learning opportunities as per the school-as-a-learning-community concept.
3) Staffing was limited, with most teachers being newly appointed and having limited experience in small schools. This hindered the implementation of community-based learning activities. With limited staff, pairing buddy teachers in the same subject groups was difficult, hindering content exchange during teaching activities. Additionally, there was a lack of teachers with advanced qualifications to guide teaching. Thus, the school required assistance from external experts or experienced teachers to support and exchange learning within classrooms.
4) The heavy workload and lack of support staff meant that teachers had limited time to fully prepare teaching plans. They were often preoccupied with administrative tasks, leaving little time for collaborative planning. Each teacher had their plans, and communication regarding teaching plans was limited, with teachers having to teach at different grade levels.