A NEED ASSESSMENT FOR ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT BASED ON DESIGND THINKING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NAKHONRATCHASIMA PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AREA OFFICE 4

Abstract

The study has the objectives to investigate the present and desirable states; analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and the needs for academic management based on the designed thinking for sustainable development; and to propose academic management strategies based on the designed thinking for sustainable development. It adopted a quantitative research approach and included a sample of 124 schools under the Nakhonratchasima Primary Educational Service Area Office 4. A total of 496 informants consisted of school directors, deputy directors in academic affair, primary school teachers, and secondary school teachers. There were altogether 412 respondents or 83.06%. Instruments employed were a current and desirable states questionnaire, and a strategies feasibility and propriety evaluation form as a 5-point rating scale with IOC in a range of .67 - 1.00 and reliability of .92. Statistics employed frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, including Priority Needs Index (PNI_modified), and content analysis. Results reported that the current and desirable states of academic management based on the designed thinking for sustainable development of Nakhonratchasima Primary Educational Service Area Office 4 as analyzed for the internal factors in overall was found with mean at a high level (= 3.831 SD. 0.738) for the current state, and at a high level (= 4.350 SD. 0.839) for the desirable state. The needs for curriculum development, development of educational media, innovations, technologies, and learning sources were at a high level, as weaknesses (PNI_modified= .147), and the measurement and evaluation was at a high level, as weakness (PNI_modified= .141). For external factors, the state of technologies was at a high level, as weakness (PNI_modified = .147); and the development of educational media, innovations, technologies, and learning sources was at a high level, as weaknesses (PNI_modified = .184).