Guidelines to Promote Internal Quality Assurance of Early Childhood Development Centers under Sub-District Administrative Organization of Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to investigate: 1) the levels of Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) in Early Childhood Development Centers under Muang District Sub-district Administrative Organization in Watplang District and Chom-Bueng District of Ratchaburi Province, and; 2) the guidelines to promote the Internal Quality Assurance of these Childhood Development Centers. The sample population included 102 experts comprised of 56 educational administrators, heads of Early Childhood Development Centers, teachers or teacher-assistants of Early Childhood Development Centers from Muang District, 6 from Watplang District and 40 from Chom-Bueng District. The research instruments were focused-group reports and five-rating scale questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was .94 while the reliability was at .95. Statistical analysis used mean, percentage, standard deviation and content analysis. The result showed: 1) the overall level of Internal Quality Assurance in the Early Childhood Development Centers under the following areas was at high level; with the highest mean on administrative operation based on the education development plan, followed by management of administration and information system, creation of the educational quality improvement plan based on the strength reflecting the identity of the Early Childhood Development Centers, the educational quality assessment, and the composition of yearly educational quality assessment report for the authorities and the public, respectively; and 2) the guidelines for centers promotion included a provision of Information Technology knowledge to teachers and teacher-assistants, an establishment of educational quality improvement plan along with personnel trainings as well as regular follow ups, an enhancement on quality assessment awareness, and an appointment of a working committee responsible for outlining appropriate framework and an assessment report in accordance to its goals and objectives.