Success Factors of Educational Administration of Schools Transferred to Provincial Administrative Organizations in Southern Border Provinces

Abstract

This qualitative research is a phenomenological study aiming to investigate success factors and their functions in educational administration of schools transferred from Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) to Provincial Administrative Organizations (PAOs) in Southern border provinces. Purposive sampling was employed to select schools that passed the Third-Round External Quality Assessment (2011-2015) by Office of National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA).  Two schools were selected: one under Yala Provincial Administrative Organization, and the other under Pattani Provincial Administrative Organization. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with eight informants from each of the provinces, and then, for data confirmation, the data were presented in a focus group attended by five informants from each province.  The study found that considering basic indicators 1 to 5 according to the results of the Third-Round External Quality Assessment (2011-2015) which were good physical and mental health; morals, ethics and good attitude; enthusiasm for continuing learning; development of thinking skills; and students’ learning achievement, the factors and functions leading to success of education administration of the schools were as follows.

1. Administrators—the Chiefs Executive of the Provincial Administrative Organizations had policy to develop schools to have good quality, provided financial support for buildings and grounds, supported modern teaching media, and gave importance to development of administrators, teachers and students. Directors of Divisions of Education, Religion and Culture drove educational policy to school administrators; school administrators had vision, were experienced, determined, adhered to true friend , employed school-based management (SBM) and Community Relations.  All these have made school administration a success.


2. Teachers—teachers were experienced in teaching, taught subjects of their major fields, employed student-centered approach, used modern teaching media, formed students’ habit to be enthusiastic for continuing learning, and developed students to have thinking skills and know how to do things which would result in improved learning achievement.  Teachers taught with heart and soul to promote their students to be smart and good with morals and ethics.


3. Atmosphere—the atmosphere of the schools promoted interaction among people in the school; teaching methods made students lively, learn with fun, yearn for knowledge, dare to think out of the box and to speak out.

4.          Participation—participation of parents and guardians, community leaders, members of school committees, related organizations, participatory governance, parents’ attentiveness and participation in school activities resulted in success of the schools.