DEVELOPING AN APPROACH TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF CHILDCARE CENTERS IN CENTRAL THAILAND TO QUALIFY FOR THAILAND’S NATIONAL STANDARD

Abstract

          The objectives of this research were 1) to develop an approach to enhance the quality of childcare centers in Central Thailand to qualify for Thailand’s National Standard, and 2) to study the result of developing the quality of childcare centers to qualify for Thailand’s National Standard. The sample group was twelve childcare centers in Central Thailand with diverse affiliations and operational sizes, selected by using purposive sampling employing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) and applied the Deming Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act: PDCA) in operation. The research was divided into three phrases (1) studying the context of childcare centers (2) conducting empirical research and (3) studying the result.

          Research findings were as follows:

1. An approach to enhance the quality of childcare centers in Central Thailand to qualify for Thailand’s National Standard was developed and it comprises (1) training to provide knowledge for teachers and administrators through learning-by-doing approach (2) supervising and monitoring the quality enhancement practices in the field through online-communication, and (3) evaluating the results and developing administrators in the aspects of childcare center management, organizing learning processes of teachers to promote child development, and children quality.


2. The result of developing the quality of childcare centers in Central Thailand to qualify for Thailand’s National Standard showed that in pretest evaluation, all twelve childcare centers were in the quality level of “improvement required”, whereas the posttest evaluation after conducting quality enhancement activities showed that the quality of ten childcare centers were enhanced to the satisfactory level and two childcare centers remained in the unsatisfactory level.