Development of Systems and Mechanisms for Educational Quality Assurance of the Royal Thai Naval Academy

Abstract

This research has two objectives which are 1) to analyze problems and obstacles in the operation of educational quality assurance of the Royal Thai Naval Academy (RTNA) and 2) to develop systems, mechanisms and guidelines for educational quality assurance of RTNA. The analysis method for this research is qualitative research. Group of experts and working group are the key informants for data gathering, and the selection was purposive sampling. The tools for gathering data were structure interview and recording form. Data analysis was content analysis. The conclusions of this research were as follow as; 1. Problems and obstacles in the operation of educational quality assurance of RTNA were in the amount of 3 aspects. The first aspect regarded personnel component. The background, understanding and knowledge in educational quality assurance of high-level executives were not meet the quality as same as most of people regarding educational quality assurance. Job relocation resulted in a lack of continuity in operations. The second aspect regarded materials and equipment component. RTNA lacked an information database system for supporting educational quality assurance work. Lastly, the third aspect regarded management. The appointment of the operational committee was inappropriate and not suitable. The quality framework and planning were unclear and monitoring task was not effective. 2. RTNA 's operational goals are educational quality assurance implemented consistently and efficiently according to PDCA annually. Inputs, processes, outputs and feedback are components for stimulating workflow systematically. 2.1) Input: inputs preparation should be ready for work consisting. There are personnel potential, budget, materials, equipment and educational quality assurance management system. 2.2) Process: there are 3-step working processes which are preparatory phase, action phase and maintaining status and continuous development phases. Preparatory phase are activities that must be performed as follows: appointment of committee, a quality framework setting, manual creation, and information database systems development to support educational quality assurance. Action phase, it is an educational quality assessment at the curriculum and institutional levels, consisting of 4 steps as followings, the first step the preparing for the quality assessment, the second step the implementation of quality assessments, the third step the assessment reporting and the forth step the applying assessment results to improve quality. Maintaining status and continuous development phase is for maintaining operational readiness status, performance review and integration of performance. 2.3) Output: the output of this stage is a curriculum and institutional level self-assessment report. 2.4) Feedback: it is the step in which the assessment results are used as information for planning the next academic year's performance.