A Study of the Situation, Problems, and Needs in the Implementation of School Curriculum in Mathematics Learning Area by Teachers in Small-Sized Schools under the Nakhon Sawan Primary Educational Service Area Office 3

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate: 1) the current conditions of curriculum implementation, 2) problems, and 3) needs regarding the use of the school-based mathematics curriculum by teachers in small-sized schools under the Nakhon Sawan Primary Educational Service Area Office 3. A mixed-methods research design was employed.
For the quantitative phase, the population consisted of 140 mathematics teachers implementing the school-based curriculum in small-sized schools. The sample comprised 103 teachers selected through simple random sampling. The research instrument was a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire covering three aspects: curriculum implementation in teaching, instructional methods aligned with the curriculum, and the provision of supporting factors and learning conditions. The instrument was validated for content validity using the Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) and demonstrated high reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.95. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.
For the qualitative phase, key informants were mathematics teachers in small-sized schools selected through purposive sampling based on their experience in curriculum implementation and willingness to provide information. Open-ended questions were used as the data collection tool. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis and presented in a descriptive narrative form.