A Volunteer Spirit Development Management Model for Enhancing Student Council Morality

Abstract

This study proposes and validates a structured management model aimed at cultivating a spirit of volunteerism to strengthen moral development within secondary school student councils. Employing a mixed-methods design, two primary objectives guided the investigation: (1) to identify and define the core components of a volunteer-spirit development framework tailored to student council contexts, and (2) to construct and empirically test an integrated management model for operationalising those components. Participants comprised representatives from eighteen schools under the Nonthaburi Secondary Educational Service Area Office, who contributed data via standardised questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Qualitative responses were subjected to thematic content analysis, while quantitative measures were analysed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to verify the dimensional structure of the proposed framework.

Findings revealed a four-factor structure underlying effective volunteer-spirit development: (1) strategic planning for volunteer engagement, (2) fostering participation and networking among student volunteers, (3) integrating service activities into the broader school curriculum, and (4) embedding moral and ethical reflection within volunteer experiences. Building on these dimensions, the study advances a four-phase management model comprising: (1) Administrative Planning—establishing governance structures and resource allocation; (2) Operationalization—implementing the four constituent components through coordinated activities and capacity-building initiatives; (3) Monitoring and Evaluation—systematic assessment of participation levels, network cohesion, and moral growth; and (4) Continuous Improvement—refinement of strategies based on feedback and outcome metrics. By operationalising volunteerism as both a pedagogical tool and a values-based strategy, this model offers school administrators and student council advisors a coherent roadmap for embedding moral development within co-curricular programming. Practical implications include the model’s utility as a blueprint for annual planning of volunteer initiatives and as a framework for crafting short-term action plans that align with institutional goals for character education. Future research should examine longitudinal impacts on student ethical reasoning and explore adaptations of the model across diverse educational settings.