Enhancing Early Childhood Teachers’ Competency in Creating Teaching Materials Through the Concept of Professional Learning Communities in Schools Under the Saraburi Primary Educational Service Area Office 1

Abstract

This research aimed to enhance early childhood teachers’ competencies in developing instructional media through the Professional Learning Community (PLC) approach in schools under the Saraburi Primary Educational Service Area Office 1. The study employed Participatory Action Research (PAR) and was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 investigated the current conditions of early childhood teachers’ competencies in instructional media development based on the PLC concept. The sample size was determined by comparing the total population with the Krejcie and Morgan (1997) table, resulting in 175 participants. A questionnaire was used as the research instrument. Phase 2 focused on enhancing early childhood teachers’ competencies in instructional media development through the PLC approach, consisting of workshops and supervision/monitoring. The sample comprised 50 volunteer early childhood teachers. The research instruments included observation forms, interview forms, and tests. Data were analyzed using basic statistics, including percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The research findings revealed that: 1) The current overall level of early childhood teachers’ competencies in instructional media development based on the PLC concept was at a moderate level (𝑥̅ = 2.67), while the desirable level was at the highest level (𝑥̅ = 4.58). 2) The competency enhancement process demonstrated clear improvement in teachers’ competencies in developing instructional media, including knowledge and understanding, media design and production skills, as well as continuous evaluation and improvement of instructional media. The implementation of the Professional Learning Community approach promoted collaborative learning among teachers, strengthened their professional capacity, and sustainably improved the quality of early childhood learning management with effectiveness.