Developing the Community Participation-Based Student Care System for a Small School

Abstract

This research was aimed to: 1) study current contexts, problems, and needs for student care system for a small school; 2) develop a community participation-based student care system for a small school; and 3) study the benefits students can gain from a community participation-based student care system for a small school.  A total of 52 participants in the study included a research team of Ban Khum Kham school and a research team of Ban Phraw Nue school.  The research team of Ban Khum Kham school consisted of a school director, 5 teachers, 2 representatives for an educational institution, 8 representatives for parents, 6 representatives for students, and 2 representatives for villagers, totally 24 participants and the research team of Ban Phraw Nue school comprised a school director, 9 teachers, 4 representatives for an educational institution, 8 representatives for parents, 6 representatives for students, and 2 representatives for villagers, totally 28 participants.  The study was conducted through a participatory action research procedure.  It was found that 1) most parents were farmers and they brought up their children based on the conduct of moral reasoning.  When staying home, most students did the reading and homework as well as the chores as their routines and responsibilities. Most parents had positive opinion and attitude towards schools.  The problems about running the school project on developing the student care system were a lack of continual co-ordinations between schools and communities, parents hardly participating in school activities which were organized by teachers only, and students having no chance to give any ideas. The needs for developing the student care system concerned the community’s needs in volunteering being a committee and cooperating in solving student’s problems in every aspect; 2) developing the community participation-based student care system for a small school consisted of 7 stages: (1) home-visiting  and data surveying with community coordination, (2) analyzing data with community coordination, (3) separating students into individuals with community coordination, (4) organizing projects, supporting activities, and problem-solving with community coordination, (5) running projects with community coordination, (6) summarizing the project assessment results with community coordination, and (7) student’s home-revisiting with community coordination; 3)  according to the benefits students gained from the community participation-based student care system for a small school, it was found that student’s learning achievement got increased in terms of learning and abilities. As for physical and mental health and behaviors, students got improved and for student’ s family, economic status, and protection, students received more warmth and care from their parents.

Keywords: Community Participation, Student Care System, Small  School  Development                                                 System  Development.