ADMINISTRATION OF THE LOCAL CURRICULUM ON SERICULTURE AT BAN DON KHUN HUAI SCHOOL IN PHETCHABURI PROVINCE THROUGH A COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH

Abstract

The development of a local curriculum was undertaken to enable learners to study content that aligns with real-life problems and supports the need to preserve traditional occupations, particularly mulberry cultivation, sericulture, and silk weaving. Ban Don Khun Huai School therefore implemented a local curriculum entitled “Mulberry cultivation and sericulture in Ban Don Khun Huai” using a community-based approach. This was carried out through a seven-step process known as the PEDISEI Model for Local Curriculum Administration, which consists of;

1) Preparation of the educational institution and promotion of community participation, 2) Establishment of a working committee and planning of local curriculum administration, 3) development of local knowledge and the local curriculum, including curriculum quality validation, 4) Implementation of the local curriculum in collaboration with the community, 5) Supervision and monitoring of curriculum implementation with community involvement, 6) Evaluation of the curriculum implementation in collaboration with the community, and 7) Improvement and development of the local curriculum administration process with community participation.

            This model was synthesized from various scholars’ concepts and integrated into a cohesive framework. The study was conducted in Ban Don Khun Huai community and Ban Don Khun Huai School in Phetchaburi Province. The sample group consisted of 32 participants: one school administrator, one head of academic affairs, two teachers, and 28 Grade 7 students. The research instruments included interviews and pre-test and post-test assessments. All instruments demonstrated content validity, with Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) values ranging from 0.67 to 1.00. The statistical methods used for data analysis included percentage, mean, standard deviation, and content analysis. The research findings revealed that: 1. The local knowledge on mulberry cultivation and sericulture in Ban Don Khun Huai consists of; (1) the history of Ban Don Khun Huai village, (2) mulberry cultivation and sericulture practices in the community, (3) mulberry plants in Ban Don Khun Huai, (4) silkworms in the community, and (5) products derived from mulberry cultivation and sericulture. 2. The local curriculum on mulberry cultivation and sericulture in Ban Don Khun Huai at Ban Don Khun Huai School comprises; (1) curriculum structure, (2) course description, (3) learning units, and (4) lesson plans. 3. The results of the curriculum implementation indicated that students’ post-test achievement scores were significantly higher than their pre-test scores at the .05 level. The mean post-test score (M = 28.50, SD = 6.52) was higher than the pre-test score (M = 21.43, SD = 6.94), with t (27) = 7.17, p < .001. The mean gain score was 7.37, representing a learning progress of 26.88% of the total score. learning achievement was higher than their pre-test scores, with an increase of 17.77 percent. The evaluation of the curriculum implementation indicated that the local curriculum was effective and consistent with the established principles and objectives.