Needs Assessment for the Development of Learner-Centered Education Management for Sustainable Learning Partnership Schools

Abstract

Background and Aims: Education forms the cornerstone for human resources and national development, particularly in the rapidly evolving 21^st century. Despite Thailand's ongoing educational reforms, the 2018 PISA results revealed that Thai students performed below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average across all domains. The Partnership School Project, launched by the Ministry of Education in 2018, fosters collaboration among government agencies, private sector organizations, and civil society in school management to enhance educational quality and reduce disparities. This research aimed to 1) investigate the current and desired states of student-centered education for sustainable learning in Partnership Schools, 2) analyze needs and formulate development strategies for student-centered education promoting sustainable learning in Partnership Schools, and 3) To propose strategic plans for enhancing the educational quality of collaborative development schools in diverse contextual areas, utilizing needs assessment analysis as the foundation for policy formulation and development guidelines.

Methodology: This study employed a quantitative survey research design. The population comprised educational personnel working in 195 Partnership Schools across 18 provinces in Thailand. Using the Krejcie and Morgan table at a confidence level of 97.48%, a sample of 127 schools was determined. Data were collected from school administrators and teachers in the Partnership Schools, selected through purposive sampling. The research instrument was a needs assessment questionnaire. Data analysis involved calculating means, standard deviations, and the Priority Needs Index modified (PNI _Modified).

Results: The findings revealed that the current state of learner-centered education for sustainable learning in Partnership Schools was at a moderate level (𝑥̅ = 3.049), whereas the desired state was at a high level (𝑥̅ = 4.489). The aspect with the highest priority need was the establishment of an educational ecosystem conducive to learning (PNI _Modified = 0.598). This was followed by creating a participatory culture for sustainable development (PNI _Modified = 0.508), promoting career skills development according to local contexts (PNI _Modified = 0.493), fostering moral values, ethics, and hometown consciousness (PNI _Modified = 0.492), and strengthening essential skills for future teaching and learning (PNI _Modified = 0.482), respectively.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that collaborative development schools have significant needs for developing learner-centered educational management across all dimensions, particularly in creating educational ecosystems conducive to learning, which showed the highest priority index. The research findings revealed that the current state of educational management is at a moderate level, while the desired state is at the highest level. These results reflect gaps requiring development intervention. School administrators and stakeholders should prioritize the development of physical learning environments, procurement of appropriate media and technology, and enhancement of teachers' capacity for learner-centered instruction. Additionally, promoting collaborative networks with external agencies and multi-stakeholder participation in educational quality development is essential to achieve sustainable learning outcomes that genuinely respond to learners' needs. The findings guide the formulation of area-level educational policies, particularly regarding resource allocation and the development of collaborative schools to enhance efficiency in learner-centered education. Furthermore, systematic evaluation and monitoring of project progress should be implemented to ensure continuous improvement and accountability in educational development initiatives.