Challenges and Administrative Conditions of Academic Divisions in Private Islamic Schools, Nonthaburi Province

Abstract

This article aimed to study the conditions and problems of administration in the academic divisions in private Islamic schools in Nonthaburi Province, employed quantitative research from 178 samples of administrators and teachers. The instrument for collecting data was an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The research results found that 1) The overall academic administration is at an excellent level (mean score 4.23), with more than 84.8% of respondents expressing high agreement. This reflects that stakeholders perceive and assess the overall academic administration as being carried out effectively. However, the item with the lowest score is “the Islamic studies curriculum aligns with the national core curriculum,” with only 76.4% agreeing at a high to very high level. This indicates that the integration between religious and secular subjects remains a major challenge that requires resolution. 2) Beneath the broad satisfaction, deeper challenges are revealed, particularly regarding the “incongruence between the Islamic studies curriculum and the national core curriculum.” This issue reflects the tension between religious identity and the state’s standardized framework. This study not only diagnoses the problem but also proposes the “BALANCED Model,” an integrative management framework that harmonizes curriculum, instruction, and assessment with a learner-centered approach. These findings are valuable not only for the development of Islamic education in urban areas like Nonthaburi but also serve as a reference for policy adaptation at the macro level in Thailand.