A Development of Causal Model of the Effectiveness Internal uality Assurancein Small Sized Primary Education : Mixed Method Research

Abstract

The purposes of the mixed method  research were to (1) develop a model of the causal relationships of the performance effectiveness in the internal quality assurance in small sized primary schools ; (2) to assess the validity of the model for the performance effectiveness  in the internal quality assurance in small size primary school, and to study the guidelines for improving the performance effectiveness in the internal quality assurance in small size primary schools. The research methodology was divided into  four phases. In the first phase, a hypothetical model was designed based on the documentary studies. In the second phase, the model was developed by the qualitative research method. In the third phase, the guidelines for improving the performance  effectiveness in the internal quality assurance of small size primary schools were  investigated form the best practice schools. In the fourth phase, the consistency of the model and the causal relationships of parameter was assessed and certified by the empirical data. The sample subjects of the student were one thousand one hundred and seventy informants form five hundred and eighty five small size schools in the northeastern region of Thailand under the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education. They were selected by multi-stage random sampling. The data was collected by five-point- rating-scale questionnaires. The descriptive statistics and inferential   statistics were  employed for data analysis. Mplus Version 7. 2 program and content analysis were used to assess the validity of the model and analyze the qualitative data.           

            The research results indicated  that (1) The five major factors with twenty three latent variables  effecting the performance effectiveness in the Internal quality assurance of small size primary schools were  competencies of school  administrators and teachers, school  environment and atmosphere,  process of the performance for internal quality   assurance   of   small  size   primary  schools and performance effectiveness in the internal quality assurance. (2) The model of  causal   relationships for improving the performance  effectiveness in the internal quality assurance of small size primary schools regarding the  consistency with the empirical data was  ( =14.784,df=12, /df=1.23 P-Value= 0.2534, RMSEA=0.020, CFI=0.999, TLI=1.000and SRMR=0.005)The four major factors were process for internal quality assurance, competencies of teachers, school environment and atmosphere, competencies of school administrators respectively; and(3) The five steps of the practical guidelines for improving the performance effectiveness in the internal quality assurance of small size primary school consisted of building awareness of the quality, preparation for readiness of the quality, implementing an operational plan  for supervision, monitoring and creating sustainable learning community.