Curriculum Management for Early Childhood Development based on Bhavana IV of Schools in Educational Network Center 2 Chatuphumi Thung Song under Nakhon Si Thammarat Primary Educational Service Office 2

Abstract

            The objectives of this research were: (1) to examine the current conditions of curriculum management for early childhood development, (2) to investigate the guidelines for curriculum management for early childhood development based on Bhavana IV, and (3) to present and evaluate the proposed guidelines for curriculum management for early childhood development based on Bhavana IV.A qualitative research methodology was employed. The study of the current conditions was conducted through in-depth interviews with 18 key informants. The investigation of the guidelines was carried out through in-depth interviews with 5 key informants. The presentation and evaluation of the proposed guidelines were conducted through a focus group discussion with 7 experts. Data were analyzed using inductive analysis.

            The findings were as follows: (1) the current conditions of curriculum management for early childhood development were characterized by several challenges, including insufficient knowledge and understanding among educational personnel, frequent policy changes, limited resources, and the absence of a unified assessment system. These limitations adversely affected multiple components of curriculum management namely school curriculum development, experience plan development, experience implementation, environment, media, and learning resource management, and developmental assessment resulting in outcomes that did not fully achieve the intended objectives. (2) The guidelines for curriculum management for early childhood development based on Bhavana IV comprised five essential components: school curriculum development, experience plan development, experience implementation, environment, media, and learning resource management, and developmental assessment. These components were integrated with the principles of Bhavana IV and were operationalized through four procedural steps: planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and continuous improvement. (3) The expert evaluation of the proposed guidelines demonstrated unanimous agreement that the guidelines were appropriate, feasible, and beneficial. All components were considered practically applicable. The guidelines consisted of five components: experience planning, experience organization, learning environment, media and learning resources, and early childhood developmental assessment.