Abstract:
The study consisted of the following objectives: 1) to explore the conditions of academic administration of primary school administrators in Chumtabong District, Nakhon Sawan Province; 2) to compare the conditions of academic administration of primary school administrators in Chumtabong District, Nakhon Sawan Province according to each personal factor; and 3) to investigate the guidelines for academic administration based on Gharavāsa-dhamma of primary school administrators in Chumtabong District, Nakhon Sawan Province. The study applied a mixed-method research approach which included both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative method used a questionnaire with a reliability of 0.93, in which the data were collected with 122 persons and were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation (σ). While the qualitative data were obtained by using semi-structured interview with 9 key informants. The obtained data were analyzed by way of content analysis.
From the study, the following findings are as follows:
1. The conditions of academic administration of primary school administrators in Chumtabong District, Nakhon Sawan Province consist of 5 aspects and overall are found to have a high level of mean (μ = 4.49, σ = 0.40). When each aspect is considered, the following aspects have a mean level ranging from high to low: (1) Teaching and learning (μ = 4.52, σ = 0.39); (2) Measurement and evaluation (μ = 4.51, σ = 0.48); (3) Curriculum (μ = 4.49, σ = 0.47); (4) Educational supervision (μ = 4.48, σ = 0.44); and (5) Teaching and learning media (μ = 4.47, σ = 0.40).
2. From comparing the conditions of academic administration of primary school administrators in Chumtabong District, Nakhon Sawan Province according to personal factors which are gender, age, and work experience, the findings show that teachers and personnel with different personal factors have differing opinions on academic administration of primary school administrators, accepting the null hypothesis.
3. The guidelines for academic administration based on Gharavāsa-dhamma of primary school administrators in Chumtabong District, Nakhon Sawan Province are as follows: (1) On curriculum, in which administrators should identify goals and missions in designing the curriculum to be compatible with the needs of the community, followed by analyzing data based on the actual situation and following up on the outcome of implementing the curriculum in order to develop continually; (2) On teaching and learning, in which administrators should encourage teachers to manage teaching and learning with a focus on students by taking into account the differences between each person and employing a variety of methods, being open to listening to problems caused by teaching and learning management, and suggesting problem-solving guidelines; (3) On teaching and learning media, in which administrators should support teachers in using teaching and learning media that is consistent with learning management and training, as well as allocating budget for producing teaching and learning media, following up on the results of using teaching and learning media, and listening to problems and requirements related to the use of media; (4) On measurement and evaluation, in which the administrators should establish measurement and evaluation policies that are consistent with educational standards, create measurement and evaluation manuals that are consistent with the standards, and measure and evaluate in actual situations before using the results for further development; and (5) On educational supervision, in which administrators should utilize a range of supervision instruments and use the outcomes of educational supervision to support and help teachers in the management of teaching and learning.