Needs Assessment of Crucial Characteristics and Skills of Student Trainees in School of Political Science and Social Sciences at University of Phayao, Academic Year 2024

Abstract

This research is a quantitative study aimed at 1) exploring the needs regarding essential characteristics and skills of undergraduate students from the School of Political and Social Sciences from the perspectives of enterprises, and 2) developing preparation activities for the students prior to entering their actual internships. The research instrument was a questionnaire used to collect data from a purposively selected sample of 283 internship personnel. Descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis. The results of the study revealed that. The majority of the respondents were from public sector organizations (87.6%). Regarding the assessment of needs for essential characteristics and skills based on the 2022 Higher Education Qualification Standards across four dimensions, the most critical elements identified in each dimension were as follows for the knowledge dimension, enterprises required students to demonstrate enthusiasm, observation, inquisitiveness, and further research (29.7%) for the skill dimension, teamwork and adaptability to the environment were highly required (27.6%) for the ethics dimension, compliance with organizational regulations and punctuality were emphasized (29.7%) and for the personal characteristics dimension, public-mindedness and active participation in organizational activities were required (28.6%). Regarding the development of internship preparation activities based on the feedback received, the designed framework consisted of 3 activities and 1 project: Knowledge and Public Sector Regulations Preparation Activity, Teamwork and Organizational Adaptability Development Activity, Digital Skills for Work Workshop, and the School's Internship System Development Project. Furthermore, the overall evaluation of satisfaction toward the internship support system and activities was at the highest level
( x̄ = 4.49, S.D. = 0.67). The item with the highest mean was the process of requesting cooperation for student internships and the acceptance form with clear, detailed steps (x̄ = 4.56, S.D. = 0.67). Conversely, the faculty's coordination channels and service speed received the lowest mean yet remained at the highest satisfaction level (x̄ =4.33, S.D.=0.72).