Strategies to enhance good character of students in schools under the foundation of The Church of Christ in Thailand

Abstract

This research study is aimed to propose strategies to enhance characters of students in schools under The Foundation of the Church of Christ in Thailand. The researcher used descriptive research through mixed methods. The qualitative information and data are gathered from in-depth interviews, a group interviews, observation, and document study in 14 schools. Research instruments include in-depth interviews, a group interview, and observation from. The analysis is based informative scrutiny by using content analysis technique. The qualitative information is gathered from 1,198 questionnaires in 25 schools. The collected data are analyzed in terms of frequency, averages, and standard deviations. The strategies are generated from TOWS Matrix by experts in strategic planning, educational management, Christian ethics, children’s life skills, child and youth psychology, and school principals. Finally, seventeen people, including experts, educators, school principals and staff who are in charge of strategies implementation evaluated the feasibility and suitability of the derived strategies.        The research results show that good characters of students can be divided into four areas: the self, the relationships, the society and the environment. Research had found that external and internal environments affecting the environment of students’ good characters are presented in four dimensions based on SWOT analysis, namely strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The highest average mean of each dimension is described as follows: The strength is that the school administrators have high leadership qualities and a determination to enhance students’ good characters. As for the weakness, the teachers’ overloaded documentation and other works diminish the time available to closely monitor and look all the students. The opportunity is based on the good reputation of the schools. However, one of the biggest that building and enhancing the students’ good characters is the increasingly globalized fashions and trends, them to disregard principles of the sufficiency economy and their own national identity.       The researcher has thus concluded there are 6 strategies in enhancing the good characters of the students in schools in schools under the Foundation of the Church of Christ in Thailand. These strategies are: 1. To enhance the strength of the Christian mission in order to become the core base that implants good characters in students; 2. To strengthen teachers and school members’ existing capabilities by pooling together their strengths, skills, knowledge, devotion and commitment to enhance the students’ good characters of the students, allowing them to interact with other students and the local community; 4. To develop the learning processes to support and maintain students’ good characters; 5. To improve management qualities of the school and teachers, which will strengthen the students’ characters; and finally, 6. To synergize the family, community and related organizations outside the school as a way of enhancing the students’ good characters.