The current situation, problems and needs of teachers in organizing scouting activities at Ban U-Taphao School, Affiliated with the Surat Thani Primary Educational Service Area Office 2

Abstract

This research aimed to: (1) study the current conditions of Scout activity organization; (2) examine the problems and compare their characteristics between teachers with and without Scout qualifications; and (3) identify teachers' needs for developing Scout activity organization and propose guidelines for applying the findings, at Ban U-Taphao School. The study employed a descriptive mixed-methods design, emphasizing qualitative data to provide an in-depth understanding of the context. The participants were all nine teachers at the school. Data were collected using a five-point rating-scale questionnaire and semi-structured in-depth interviews, then analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, content analysis, and comparison between the two groups. The findings revealed that the overall current conditions of Scout activity organization were at a high level. Activity implementation had the highest mean score, followed by planning, while measurement and evaluation were at a moderate level. The major problems were unsystematic planning, differences in teachers' knowledge and skills, insufficient materials and equipment, and the lack of standardized evaluation tools. Teachers with Scout qualifications generally assumed primary responsibility for planning and ceremonies but also carried heavy school workloads, whereas those without qualifications lacked confidence and needed more hands-on, step-by-step training. The teachers also expressed needs for training, a mentoring system, activity handbooks, a Scout knowledge repository, materials and equipment, and a shared supervision, monitoring, and evaluation system.