Community needs for the development of learning programs based on the philosophy of sufficiency economy in Bang Ban District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province

Abstract

This study examined and prioritized the competency-development needs of secondary school agriculture teachers in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed. The population comprised 73 teachers in the Occupational Learning Area, from whom 45 teachers responsible for agriculture or agriculture-related subjects were selected through cluster sampling by school size followed by simple random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire covering five core competency domains and six functional competency domains. The questionnaire was evaluated by three experts for content validity using the item–objective congruence index. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and descriptive rankings. The overall need for core competency development was high (M = 4.32, S.D. = 0.21). Teacher ethics and integrity was the highest-rated core competency and the only domain rated very high (M = 4.54, S.D. = 0.36), followed by self-development and teamwork. The overall need for functional competency development was also high (M = 4.26, S.D. = 0.21), with teacher leadership receiving the highest rating (M = 4.39, S.D. = 0.35), followed by community relationships and collaboration for learning management. Across all 11 domains, teacher ethics and integrity, teacher leadership, self-development, and community collaboration emerged as the leading priorities. The findings demonstrate broad competency-development needs and suggest that professional development programs for secondary school agriculture teachers should integrate professional ethics, leadership, continuous self-development, and school–community collaboration.