In this chapter, all data were collected from basic education schools to support substantial factors that have an impact on innovation competency and to respond to the first research objective that seeks to study school innovation competency. The study has an emphasis on the study of the characteristics of various factors that enable schools to have innovation competency. In addition, these qualitative results can respond to the third research objective proposing the approach to develop innovation competency in basic education schools.
Initially, data were collected by interviewing two key informants involved in innovation development. These were an executive of an educational institution (director) and a person who takes responsibility to develop school innovation. In addition, the investigator also saw documents in order to obtain reliable data in accordance with the principle of Triangulation Technique. The schools participating in this study were selected based on their awards under the project of “one school one innovation” granted by the Teachers Council of Thailand for at least three years. Data were analyzed and used to support the qualitative research results in order to assure reliability of the innovation development model.
5.1 Analysis for the Data Collected from Participating Schools
This qualitative research of innovation competency in the schools providing basic education in Thailand, aims to study substantial factors that impact on school innovation competency. Seven schools were selected to participate based on their awards under the project of “one school one innovation”. These schools are recognized as having high innovation competency. The seven schools are listed as follows:
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1) Patai Udom Suksa School 2) Wat Suthat School
3) Sathya Sai School
4) Ban Muang Sam Pi School 5) Ban Huai Hea School
6) Anuban Ban Mor (Pattanarat) School 7) La Salle Chotiravi Nakhonsawan School
Multiple methods were used to gather all the data including face-to-face interviews and observing the school’s documents, e.g., Self-Assessment Report (SAR), vision, mission, strategy, plan, and operations. Only the director or deputy director and a person who takes responsibility to develop school innovation were selected for interview. This research combined multiple methods to collect the data in order to comply with the method of cross-checking and crediting data from multiple sources for reliability according to the methodological triangulation. Data obtained from three sources of each school was cross-checked and summarized as follows:
5.1.1 Basic Information and Innovation Competency of Each Selected Schools
5.1.1.1 Patai Udom Suksa School
Patai Udom Suksa School is a private school under the Private Education Commission, Ministry of Education. The school provides education from pre-school through lower secondary school. It is located on 201 Wipawadi-rangsit Road, Lak Si District with an area of 20 rais. There are 3,172 female and male students, 286 Thai and foreign teachers, 33 officers, 55 workers at this school. The school was established on May 2, 1971 by having Pol.Gen. Pao and Lady Udomluk Sriyanont as the founders with the purpose to build a high quality school. Initially, it operated as a semi-public charity in order to lighten the load of government work and to be a social heritage of education.
Innovation achievements developed by the school that won an award under the project of “one school one innovation” for at least three years granted by the Teachers Council of Thailand from year 2010 to 2012 are detailed as follows:
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1) Year 2010, a gold medal awarded for the innovation of the integrated curriculum “once up on a time”
2) Year 2011, a gold medal awarded for the innovation of the integrated curriculum “sufficiency based cross-examination: the steersman hero named Pantai Norasingh”
3) Year 2011, a silver medal ranked on 21st awarded for the innovation in title of “Patai Triple Model”
The school clearly demonstrated the ability to develop innovation on their own. Their innovation exhibited the characteristics of innovation competency in accordance with the criteria used in this study. Therefore Patai Udom Suksa School was selected to participate in this study and observed in different aspects in real situations in order to obtain data for analysis and used as the guideline approach for further innovation development by other schools. Data were collected from documents and interviews of three people including Ratchaya Supapodok, Innovation Director and Tapanee Triyarn, Primary Education Headmaster.
5.1.1.2 Wat Suthat School
Wat Suthat School comes under Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
The school was established in 1902 with Phra Thep Moli as the founder. The school buildings were located on the south and the side of Tri Thong Road. Later in 1975, schools under Bangkok Municipal Administration were transferred to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (according to the change authorized by Council of Ministers). Currently, the school is located on 18/1 Unakan Road, Wat Ratchabophit Subdistrict, Phra Nakorn District, Bangkok with area of 90.25 square wah and a three- floor school building with a high roof. Mr. Kamol Oopaphol currently holds the position of School Director. The school provides education from pre-school through elementary school with eight classrooms and other activity rooms including a computer room, Dharma-Intellectual room (music and dancing). There are 150 students and 17 personnel.
Innovations developed by Wat Suthat School won awards under the project of “one school one innovation” for at least three years granted by the Teachers Council of Thailand. Therefore, the school is qualified to be sample for this research.
The school’s innovations are detailed as follows: