COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VILLAGE HEADMEN’S PERFORMANCE: A STUDY IN SAMKO DISTRICT, ANG THONG PROVINCE

Abstract

This research article aimed to (1) examine the level of community participation and the effectiveness of village headmen’s performance; (2) compare the effectiveness of village headmen’s performance as perceived by the public, classified by personal characteristics; and (3) investigate the relationship between community participation and the effectiveness of village headmen’s performance in Samko District, Ang Thong Province. The study employed a quantitative research design using a survey method. The sample consisted of 392 residents selected through a sampling technique.The research instrument was a five-point Likert scale questionnaire divided into three parts: general information; community participation in four dimensions (decision-making, implementation, benefit-sharing, and evaluation); and the effectiveness of village headmen’s performance in three dimensions (performance in accordance with key government policies, leadership characteristics, and public satisfaction). Content validity was examined by three experts, yielding IOC values ranging from 0.67 to 1.00, and the overall reliability coefficient was .965. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as inferential statistics, including t-test, One-Way ANOVA, and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, with significance levels set at .05 and .01.

The findings revealed that: (1) overall community participation and the effectiveness of village headmen’s performance were at a high level (𝑥̄ = 4.12); (2) the effectiveness of performance significantly differed by gender, age, educational level, and occupation at the .05 level of statistical significance, but showed no significant difference by income; and (3) community participation was positively correlated with the effectiveness of performance at a high level (r = .77), with statistical significance at the .01 level. In particular, participation in benefit-sharing and evaluation demonstrated strong correlations. The results indicate that promoting community participation in all dimensions can enhance the effectiveness of village headmen and strengthen community governance in a tangible manner.