THE PRIORITY NEEDS FOR DEVELOPING STUDENT AFFAIRS MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS UNDER THE ST. GABRIEL FOUNDATION IN THE EASTERN REGION BASED ON THE MONTFORT EDUCATION CHARTER

Abstract

This research article aims to 1) study the current and desirable conditions of student affairs management in schools under the St. Gabriel’s Foundation in the Eastern region of Thailand based on the Montfort Education Charter (MEC); and 2) investigate the priority needs for developing student affairs management based on the Montfort Education Charter (MEC). The conceptual framework employed was the MEC framework, comprising eight core principles ranked by the Priority Needs Index (PNI_Modified): Innovation and Creativity, Quest for Excellence, The Best Interests of the Child, Inclusive Education, Respect for the Community, Incarnational Methodology, Spiritual Vision, and Partnership and Networking. The population covered by schools under the St. Gabriel’s Foundation in the eastern region of Thailand. Respondents consisted of 3 school directors, 7 deputy directors, 63 department or section heads, 26 level coordinators, and 173 homeroom teachers, selected through purposive sampling, totally of 272 respondents. Five-point Likert-scaled questionnaires, validated by three experts, with a reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s Alpha) of 0.949, were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: mean, standard deviation, and the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNI_Modified).

The research findings revealed that: 1) The current condition of student affairs management was at a moderate level, while the desirable condition was at the highest level; and 2) The overall priority needs index (PNImodified) was 0.43, indicating an urgent need to develop “positive student discipline.” This was followed by promoting “democracy” and “sports/music” activities. “Classroom management” showed the lowest level of priority needs. These findings indicate the need for systemic development of student affairs management in alignment with the Montfort Education Charter (MEC) to enhance holistic learner development.