Applying The STEM Education To Develop A Curriculum For The Children’s Day Care-Teachers Of Early Childhood Education In Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the educational management aspect to develop the skills of children’s day-care teachers of early childhood education and to study the guidelines in applying the STEM Education to develop the children’s day-care teachers of early childhood education in Thailand.  This is qualitative research in which 3 sample groups of people used in this research consisted of professionals of basic educational management at the early childhood educational level, professionals in managing the STEM Education who have achieved in developing the children’s day-care teachers, with a total of 98 individuals.  However, all the 3 professional groups of people must have the knowledge or have applied the STEM in managing education or in the field of work, having the experience in the management of early childhood education.  The researcher conducted the study by in-depth interviews and analyzed the findings through the use of content analysis techniques.

It is found from the study that 1) there is educational management to develop the skills of children’s day-care teachers of early childhood education in Thailand, and that most of the teacher-producing institutions have Bachelor’s degree curriculum with various subjects in the early childhood education program. There are some teacher-producing institutions that provide short children’s day-care teachers certificate courses.  2) The guidelines in applying the  STEM Education to develop children’s day-care teachers of early childhood educationin  Thailand  can be done in two ways: application in teaching and learning according to the  Bachelor’s degree curriculum of early childhood education in all courses and using the application in the instructional management for tenured personnel through short-courses programs; providing the services for the group of tenured teachers who have graduated with a Bachelor's degree and providing the services for children’s day-care teachers group, teachers’ assistants group or baby-sitters group in educational institutions or service centers who are not Bachelor's degree holders.  The approach could be implemented in 3 phases. Short term is for urgent development of the tenured teachers in the Up-skills learning style.  Medium term is to cover the knowledge of the necessary context of 3-4 subjects in the Re-skills learning style.  The long-term phase is to cover the complete knowledge of children’s day-care teachers where the second Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s could be obtainedin the New skills learning style which is the credit bank form of learning or point system.