GUIDELINES FOR ENHANCING THE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY OF TEACHERS IN TEACHING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING GRADUATE STUDENTS TEACHER DIPLOMA PROGRAM, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, CHIANG MAI RAJABHAT UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This research aims to; 1) investigate the teaching competencies of student teachers enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Teaching program at the Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University. The study will gather perspectives from multiple stakeholders, including school administrators, mentor teachers, school board members, and university supervisors and 2) figure out strategies to improve the professional competence of student teachers at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University's Faculty of Education's Diploma in Teaching Program. The research sample for this quantitative study consists of administrators, mentor teachers, school board members, and supervising professors of student teachers enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Education program at the Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, for the academic year 2022. A sample of 231 participants was determined using a formula to achieve a margin of error of .05. Additionally, 10 key informants were involved in the qualitative research. Data collection instruments included a questionnaire and focus group discussion. Quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, mean ( ), and standard deviation (S.D.). Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis based on the focus group discussion framework. The aim of this study was to identify strategies for enhancing the competencies of graduate students in the Teacher Professional Diploma program at Chiang Mai Rajabhat University.

The research findings revealed that, 1) the overall performance of pre-service teachers in the Graduate Diploma in Education program at the Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, as perceived by supervising teachers, was at a very high level ( = 4.52, SD = 0.14). The perceptions of mentor teachers, administrators, and school management committees were also at a high level (   = 4.47, SD = 0.02; ( = 4.37, SD = 0.06; ( = 4.29, SD = 0.05), respectively, and 2) the guidelines for enhancing the professional competencies of pre-service teachers in the Graduate Diploma in Education program at the Faculty of Education, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, prioritize the development of instructional management skills. 2) Guidelines for improving the three areas of professional competency for student teachers in the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University Faculty of Education's Diploma in Teaching Program by placing greater emphasis on the development of learning management, the community and parent relationships, the fulfilment of teacher responsibilities, and professional ethics, in that order; by encouraging the growth of student competence through the planning of cooperative learning exchanges and the creation of projects that enhance academic and professional skills.