Early Childhood Academic Administration at the Schools under the Local Government Organization in Phrae Province

Abstract

          This research article aimed to examine the current status and the ideal conditions for academic administration at the early childhood level. It specifically focused on the academic management practices at the schools under the local administrative organization in Phrae province. Utilizing a mixed-methods research approach, the study involved a population of 71 participants, including interviews with 8 qualified experts. Research tools included questionnaires and interview templates, with statistical analyses performed using percentages, means, standard deviations, priority need index, and content analysis.

           The findings revealed that (1) the overall status was high, while the ideal status was rated the highest; the prioritized needs for early childhood academic management, ranked from the highest to lowest, included curriculum development, support media for learning experiences, organization of learning experiences, teacher supervision, and child development assessment. (2) The administration of the early childhood education involved five key areas: appointment of curriculum development committees were appointed, diversity of learning experiences aligned with children's developmental needs, provision of budget support for media production, continuous evaluation of media use supportive supervision practices employed by administrators, and a variety of assessment methods utilized by teachers to evaluate individual child development comprehensively.