A Development Model of Schools of Quality for Secondary Schools in Lao PDR

บทคัดย่อ

This research and development study, a development model of Schools of Quality for Secondary Schools
in Lao PDR, was conducted by using quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and action research.
The objective of the research was to construct a development model of Schools of Quality for secondary schools
in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The research procedures consisted of three phases. Phase I was a quantitative
research studied on the causal factors influenced success of Schools of Quality for Secondary Schools in Lao PDR;
the samples of which were 116 secondary schools in the five UNICEF target provinces: Phongsaly, Luangnamtha,
Saravan, Sekong and Attapue; and data were collected by using a questionnaire and analyzed by a structural
equation modeling (Path Analysis), a statistical application LISREL and Pearson Correlation. Phase II was a
qualitative research to construct a development model of Schools of Quality for secondary schools in Lao PDR by
conducting a workshop for 20 professional specialists from educational, pedagogical and developmental fields
who were selected by purposive sampling to comment on the constructed draft of the development model during
focus group discussion and brain storming. The development model was then revised based on the experts’
comments and recommendations and finalized for use in Phase III, which was an action research. The development
model was implemented in the five secondary schools: Hmong Chao in Phongsaly, Nateoy in Luangnamtha,
Kokpoong in Sekong, Nakoysao in Saravan, and Sethathirath in Attapeu for one academic year. The data collected
from the pre-test and post test period were compared by using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test.
Findings reveal that the influencing factors contributing to success of Schools of Quality for secondary
schools, sorted from the highest to the lowest scores of coefficient, were leadership factor (0.37), teaching
and learning factor (0.36), teacher factor (0.31), management (0.23), and participation of community (0.19),
respectively. These factors were the influencing factors contributing to the success of Schools of Quality for
secondary schools in Lao PRD at the statistical significant level of .05. Regarding construction of the development
model of Schools of Quality for secondary schools, there were 18 activities to be implemented. For leadership
factor, there were four activities which consisted of 1) training workshop on leadership for Schools of Quality
approach, 2) performance review through feedback activities, 3) sharing best practice, and 4) coaching and
mentoring by provincial and district education monitoring and supervisory support. For teaching & learning and the teacher factors, there were four activities: 1) training workshop on teaching and learning for Schools
of Quality approach, 2) promoting local wisdoms teaching and learning through community support, 3) sharing
lessons learned and exchanging experiences of teachers in organizing teaching and learning process of
Schools of Quality approach, and 4) monitoring and supervisory support from provincial and district education.
For management factor, there were five activities: 1) training workshop on school management for Schools of
Quality approach, 2) school self-assessment, 3) school development planning, 4) school child seeking and
mapping, and 5) monitoring and supervisory support from provincial and district education on Schools of
Quality approach. For participation of community factor, there were five activities: 1) orientation training workshop
on Schools of Quality approach, 2) school development planning, 3) school self-assessment, 4) school child
seeking and mapping, and 5) supporting teaching and learning of local wisdoms.
The findings from the evaluation of the development model of Schools of Quality for secondary schools
in Lao PRD are the following. The development model was implemented in the five target secondary schools.
The baseline data collected before the implementation as the pre-test were compared with the data collected
from the participating secondary schools after the implementation of the model for one academic school-year
from September 2012 to July 2013. It was found that the post-test level of success of Schools of Quality in
the five target schools was different from that of the pretest at the .05 level of statistical significance. This
indicated that the result of implementation of Schools of Quality approach was statistically and significantly
improved. It was concluded that after the five target schools had implemented the development model in
their schools, their performances were better improved in accordance with the Schools of Quality approach.