Good Practices in Small School Administration in the Age of Disruptive Society Under the Kanchanaburi Primary Educational Service Area Office 2

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) study the current conditions, desirable conditions, and priority needs of small school administration in the disruptive era and 2) synthesize best practices for small school administration in the disruptive era under the Office of Kanchanaburi Primary Educational Service Area 2 . This mixed methods research was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 addressed the first objective by examining current conditions, desirable conditions, and priority needs. The population consisted of 36 small schools under the Office of Kanchanaburi Primary Educational Service Area 2 with active administrators. The key informants comprised 180 school administrators and teachers selected by criterion selection based on specified criteria, consisting of 1 school administrator and 4 teachers from each school. The instrument was a five-point rating scale questionnaire with IOC values ranging from 0.67 to 1.00 and an overall Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient higher than 0.90. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNI modified) Phase 2 synthesized best practices through a focus group discussion with 6 experts selected by criterion selection. The instruments were a focus group record form and an evaluation form for appropriateness, feasibility, and congruence of the draft best practices. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings were as follows: 1. The current state of small school administration in the disruptive era under was overall at a moderate level, while the desired state was at a high level The overall Priority Needs Index (PNI modified = 0.36) indicated that general administration had the highest need, followed by personnel administration, academic administration, and budget administration had the lowest need, respectively. 2. The best practices for small school administration in the disruptive society era comprised four aspects: 2.1 Academic Administration: focusing on developing school curricula aligned with community contexts and learner needs, implementing learner-centered instruction, integrating digital technology in teaching, and conducting systematic supervision to enhance student quality. 2.2 Budget Administration: emphasizing efficient, transparent, and accountable budget planning, allocating resources according to school needs, and mobilizing resources from networks including government agencies, private sector, and community. 2.3 Personnel Administration: prioritizing continuous capacity development of teachers and educational personnel, promoting participatory decision-making, teamwork, and motivation to enhance staff performance and job satisfaction. 2.4 General Administration: focusing on utilizing information technology for management and communication, building collaborative networks with communities and relevant agencies, adopting participatory management, and adapting flexibly to social change.