Teachers’ Perception on the Level of School Administration Involvement in Their Professional Development and Its Influence on Job Satisfaction in Thai SDA Primary Schools

Abstract

Many worldwide headlines are talking about the challenges in the teaching professions in Thailand public schools. This study looked at some of those challenges faced by private schools, particularly SDA schools in Thailand. Many have looked at teachers’ poor performance and the factors contributing to this. In Thailand, many have blamed the bureaucratic system adopted by Thai schools, the lack of time, and available training. Teachers have complained about a lack of in service development training leading to low job satisfaction (JS) and poor teaching performances. This investigation sought to determine if there was a statistically significant positive relationship between involvement of the school administration and professional development (PD) and also a positive relationship between PD and JS among teachers in SDA schools in Thailand. The results showed no statistically significant positive relationship for the factors studied. This study didn’t look at students’ achievements, but based on the results, the recommendation to SDA schools Administrators and the Thailand Education department would be, like Finland, some European countries or even a neighboring country like Singapore, to seriously consider PD as a systematic continuous process that is worth investing time and money into. The reasoning is that it is fundamental for students’ academic achievement, and helps make the teachers work more efficient and enjoyable.