The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Parents and Community Partnership in Small-Sized School : A Case Study
of Banwangpon School Under the Office of Khon Kaen Primary
Educational Service Area 1
Siriwan Senawong 1 (oopmohc@hotmail.com)
Thanomwan Prasertcharoensuk 2 (thapra@kku.ac.th)
Asbtract
The purposes of this study were 1) to study the condition of parents and community
partnership of Banwangpon School 2) to be the guideline of parents and community
partnership development in Banwangpon School. This research was a Case Study Approach.
There was 2 phases of the study. Phase 1 was the survey by using survey questionnaires,
interview questionnaires, and observation form in order to study the condition of parents and
community partnership in Banwangpon School. Phase 2 was Focus Group Discussion to
explain the current phenomena and present the guideline of parents and community
partnership development.
The results were as follows;
1. The condition of parents and community partnership of Banwangpon School
showed that the overall and all aspects were at “Often” level. The highest mean was working
as volunteer aspect followed by working with community aspect. And the lowest mean was
decision making aspect.
2. The guidelines for parents and community partnership in Banwangpon School
as followers; 2.1) Parents aspect: School and community should build on the parent network
in order to take care of students in term academic, career skill and life skill base on parent in
community expertise. 2.2) Communication aspect: School should provide various of
communication methods with parent for instant communicate to parents by students’
document, school’s news, notice in community and letting students do the village’s reporter.
2.3) Working as volunteer aspect: School should do the community information in term of
careers, ability, local people wisdom, and promote local wisdom teacher in order to be honor
for them. 2.4) Learning at home aspect: Teachers and parents should do students’
development plan together and go visiting students at homes every month. 2.5) Decision
making aspect: School provide knowledge of the government rules to parents and community
in order to help them make some decisions about school and also school should empower the
special organization. and 2.6) Working with community: School should help parents and
community emphasize to students’ learning. School should have clearly work plan together
and should set up parent organization and alumni association to enhance the effective working
with community.
Keyword: Parents,Community,Partnership
Introduction
The Educational Management in the present based on National Education Act 1999,
and the Revised Issue (the 2nd Issue) 2002, had major goal in human resource development for
cognitive body of knowledge, competency in problem solving as well as happy livelihood in
society focusing on Section 18(2) for the society participation in Education, Section 9(1) and
(2) Section 29 for the cooperation of school, family members, community, community
organization, local administrative organization, private sector, private organization,
professional organization, religious institution, entrepreneur and other social institutions for
1Master
Degree Student, Department of Educational Administration, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Professor, Department of Educational Administration, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
2Associate
The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
promoting community strength by learning process management in community for
community development being relevant to situation, problem, and need as well as finding
technique for community supportive and experience sharing technique, and community
development. In addition, Section 39, aimed for decentralization in Educational Power and
Academic Management, budget, staff management, and general work management by
Ministry into the committee and The Office of Educational Service Area, and schools in the
Educational Area directly. Furthermore, the original affiliation as well as schools were
determined to provide the Internal Quality Assurance of school which would lead to
determination of Basic Education Standard. (National Education Act 1999, and the
Revised Issue (the 2nd Issue) 2002)
The Educational participation indicated the trend in changing one’s viewpoint that the
Education belonged to every one, not only to the Educators or schools. Every sector or
division had to participate in Education. For formal participation, was performed by being
representatives of school boards. For non formal participation, was performed by providing
support in different ways. Being partnership was an intensive participation level indicated the
collaboration as connection, attachment, responsibility by understanding with commitment of
persons or organization from 2 units up. (Promwilai Buasuwan, 2011)
In the U.S.A., there were studies for many decades indicated that the evolution of
cooperation between family and school into partnership between family and school from
Parents’ participation or relationship between home and school into family and school
partnership focusing on cooperation between two institutions for student development aimed
to reasonable objective with major reasons as: 1) the collaboration in being responsible for
students’ education, 2) the development of awareness in significance and usefulness for
family members not only parents. Specifically, the children who were not taken care by their
parents, the family member would play major role in contacting the school. Consequently,
the partnership was to change the former viewpoint from the teachers determined activity for
being participated by parents to the opportunity and willingness for family to express opinion
for developing the equality to be real potential benefit for student quality development.
(Epstein, 1992)
Banwangpon School was a small sized school situated far away from The Office of
Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area 1, for 40 kilometers/ According to document
study for history of establishment of Banwangpon School as well as asking the related
persons and those who involved in the incidence, found that Banwangpon School used to be
dissolved in 1998. As a result, the students’ parents had to brought the students to study at
Ban Kam Hua Chang None Toon Pa Manow School. But, in 2002, students’ parents of
Banwangpon School asked for returning the school back. However, the return was only to be
a branch of Ban Nong Klong School by using a new name as Ban Nong Klong (Banwangpon
School Branch ). In addition, in 2005, the students’ parents and community of Banwangpon
asked for returning the school again. It was successful this time. The Office of Educational
Service Area allowed Banwangpon School to be school once more. According to that
incidence, the parents and community loved and wanted to protect school very much. Every
one collaborated in taking care of it, maintaining the environment to be nice to live, and
supporting school more. Because they wanted to develop their children in community to be
good and quality children.
According to background and reasons as the above, in order to cause Banwangpon
School to be successful in student development more. The researcher was interested in
participation as Parents and Community Partnership of Banwangpon School , under
jurisdiction of The Office of Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area 1, what would be
Parents and Community Partnership of Banwangpon School, and to search for guidelines for
developing the Parents and Community Partnership of Banwangpon School further, and to
The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
develop the standard Educational management of Banwangpon School, and to be able to
provide Educational Management sustainably as well as student development more efficient.
2. Research Questions
2.1 What would be the partnership between parents and community of Banwangpon
School?
2.2 What would be guideline for developing the partnership between parents and
community of Banwangpon School?
3. Research Objectives
3.1 To study the partnership between parents and community of Banwangpon School.
3.2 To study the guideline for developing the partnership between parents and
community of Banwangpon School.
4. Research Implementation
This research was a Case Study of Banwangpon School , a successful school in being
partnership between parents and community. The researcher determined the phases of
research implementation as follows:
Phase 1, was the survey of partnership between parents and community.
Phase 2, was the focus group discussions for explaining the occurred phenomenon as
well as recommending the guidelines for developing the partnership between parents and
community.
4.1 Target Group
- Phase 1 , consisted of 1 school administrator, and 1 teacher, 2) the parents were
33 parents, 3) Ban Wang Pone Community selected the community leaders in each group
including 1 community leader, 1 representative of Local Administrative Organization, 1 group
president of Public Health Volunteer Group of village, 1 president of occupation group, 1
president of housewife in Ban Wang Pon, total representatives were 5 persons, total target
group were 40 persons.
-Phase 2, consisted of school director, 1 representative teacher (the most experienced
persons in working at Banwangpon School , were selected) , and 1 president of community, 1
representative of Local Administrative Organization ( the person who lived in Banwangpon),
and 1 president of Public Health Volunteer in village.
4.2 Variables, the partnership of parents and community consisted of 6 aspects as
following: 1) the caretaker, 2) the communication, 3) the volunteer, 4) the learning at home,
5) the decision making, and 6) the working with community.
4.3 Research Instruments
Phase 1 consisted of the Questionnaire, the Interview Form, and the Observation
Form.
Questionnaire was divided into 3 Parts. Part 1 included the respondents’
demographic data, as the Checklist. Part 2, included the level of opinion on partnership
between parents and community, as 5 Level Rating Scale. Part 3, included the Open-ended
questions regarding to the guidelines for developing the partnership between parents and
community.
Interview Form divided into 2 Parts. Part 1, included the respondents’ demographic
data, as the Checklist. Part 2, included the questions of in-depth information regarding to
partnership between parents and community.
The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Observation Form, was the behavioral observation form of partnership between
parents and community of school using for collecting data while the researcher whereas in
field work, studied the case study school, and observed conference of Banwangpon School .
Phase 2, Focus Group Discussion.
4.4 Data Analysis
Frequency, Percentage, Mean (  ), and Standard Deviation (  ). Content Analysis
was performed and concluded into descriptive form.
5. Conclusions and discussions of research findings
5.1 Conclusions
1) The partnership between parents and community of Banwangpon School , under
The Office of Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area 1, inn overall and each aspect,
the average values in “Frequent Practice,” level. The aspect with highest level of average
value, was “the working as volunteer.” The second order was “the working with community.”
The lowest level of practice, was “the decision making.”
2) The guidelines for developing the partnership between parents and community of
Banwangpon School ,
2.1) The parents, both of school and community should establish parents
network for collaborating in taking care and helping the students including the academic
work, vocational skill, and life skill based on each parent’ aptitude.
2.2) The communication, school should have various communication channels,
for instance, communication by using students as well as document, letter news, school
bulletin board in the village, public relation, training the students to be news speakers of
village.
2.3) The working as volunteer, the school should establish communication
information systematically in the occupation, competency, wisdom of community people, and
appoint local wisdom teachers for recognizing, honoring the working persons as well as
developing good climate in collaborated working.
2.4) The learning at home, the teachers and parents should make plan for
student development, monthly home visit, and provide the learning activity promotion activity
at home as well as record and follow up the students regularly.
2.5) The decision making, the school should provide knowledge of rule and
guidelines in official practice for parents and community in order to make decision, and
empower the decision making for l established special organization, and
2.6) The working with community, the school had to develop awareness for
parents and community in constructing the learning source for children because the children’ s
learning would be occurred everywhere in community. The guidelines in working would
develop good understanding. Furthermore, the parent-alumni association should be
established systematically and truly in order to support the community working with
community to be more efficient.
5.2 Discussions of research findings
1) Parents and community Partnership of Banwangpon School , under The Office
of Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area 1, should be discussed in each aspect as
follows:
1.1) Parents, in overall, the average value was in “Frequent Practice” level. (
 = 4.22,  = 0.76) Considering each aspect, found that most of them were in “Frequent
Practice” level except the school should pro vide knowledge in “being parents as well as good
nutrition health care for offspring,” the average value was in “Regular Practice.” (  = 4.53,
 = 0.76) It indicated that the parents were not only father and mother, but also were
The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
relatives. Most of parents were old. So, they couldn’t take care and help the students in
academic area as much as they should be. But, they could take care for physical health. It
was supported by Epstein’s (1992) study in “School and family partnership,” in Educational
Management, specified the word “Parents and Community Partnership for long period of time
1.2) Te communication, in overall, the average value was in “Frequent
Practice,” level . (  = 4.18,  = 0.81) Considering each item, found that every item was in
“Frequent Practice,” level because school and community were very close. The conferences
were held regularly. It was congruent with Koontida Promtoon’s (2012) statement that the
role of Participatory Management Practice in promoting the communication, and was
supported by Yuwarat Chongchiarak’ s (2003) study in “Participation of Home, School, and
Community in providing Early Childhood Management in Learning Reform School for
Student Quality Development, in order to study 4 aspects of participation by Home, School,
and Community in providing Early Childhood Management.
1.3) The volunteer, in overall, the average value was in “Frequent Practice.” (
 = 4.34,  = 0.78) Considering each aspect, found that most of them were “Frequent
Practice,” which caused by the dissolved schools. Consequently, both of community and
parents were aware that the school could not be able to be survives if there was no
development. In addition, the school should not be fully developed if there were no
community and parents as well. The need to maintain the school for offspring, both of
community and parents needed to support school very much. It w supported by research
findings of Epstein’s (1992) study in “Cooperation between family and school in Educational
Management for collaborating in enhancing the students’ success in Education. Moreover, it
was congruent with Roong Kaewdang’s (1999 cited in Nattapong Chaladyam, 2010 ) in
Participatory 4, participatory in benefit gaining except the school asked for cooperation from
parents and community to help the school activity. The average value was in “Regular
Practice.” (  = 4.56,  = 0.72) It might be due to the parents and community were not
familiar with documentary work system or academic work. So, they would be afraid to make
the school work inefficiently.
1.4 ) Learning at home, in overall, the average value was in “Frequent
Practice,” level. (  = 4.17,  = 0.84) Considering each item, found that every item was in
“Frequent Practice,” level since some parents could be able to support, counsel, recommend
the students’ learning, promoting the students’ reading as well as homework, encourage the
students to be interested in learning while they were at home. But, some of them couldn’t be
able to help the students’ homework because they lacked of knowledge. They only
encouraged and took care the students’ food as well as learning facilities. It was supported by
Sirikan Kosoom’s (1999) study in “Family Role as Participation in School Activities,” it was
studied more. It was also congruent with The Australian Council of State School
Organizations’ recommendation in “Parents’ Participation in Learning and Education,” in
dimension 2 as to connect the learning at home, and at school. (Connecting learning at home
and at school)
1.5) The decision making, in overall, was in “Frequent Practice. (  = 4.13, 
= 0.81) Considering each item, found that every item was in “Frequent Practice,” level since
some parents participated in and played their role in decision making, planning, specifying
goal and activity promoting the student quality with school in every activity. Most of parents
allowed their role as participation in decision making to school boards only. It was supported
by The Office of National Education Commission (2001) that the family role in Educational
Management was called Participation which was referred to the equality as well as reflection
to the process more. It was the shared thinking and doing as well as cooperating in making
decision. As a result, the policy and work plan which would lead to movement of
The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
development, could be accessed. Every division was responsible for it without being different
too much.
1.6 ) Working with community, in overall, was in “Frequent Practice. (  =
4.27,  = 0.) Considering each item, found that every item was in “Frequent Practice,” level.
Because the school cooperated with parents and community in implementing various
activities for student learning development, collecting resource in order to improve and
provide appropriate atmosphere with student learning, for instance, cultural promotion
activity, merit or a set of new rope or offerings presented to Buddhist Monks at the end of
rainy season, funeral, wedding, and health promotion activity for the whole village. It was
congruent with Roong Kaewgang (1999 cited in Nattapong Chaladyam, 2010) in type 2,
Implementation.
2) Guidelines for developing the parents and community partnership of Banwangpon
School , the findings could be discussed as follows:
2.1) Caretaker, the guidelines for development in this aspect, was to construct
the parents network for providing student support in every issue such as academic,
occupation, and life skill based on each parent’s aptitude. It was supported by Sangtong
Poosri’ s (2002) study in “Cooperation between Family and School,” that could be
performed in many ways. Most of them were performed by activities or programs.
2.2 ) Communication, the guidelines for developing this aspect included:
various instruments and techniques should be administered in communication, for instance,
by students and document, newsletter, school board in the village, public relation, training the
students to be news speakers of village, and sharing information n by teachers, parents, and
community. It was supported by Epstein’s ( 1 9 9 5 ) Theory of Influence including the
Overlapping Spheres of Influence as conceptual framework for school to apply in
implementation with parents based on national education goal in The United States of
America emphasized every school to develop partnership within 2 0 0 0 . Every school had to
establish the program as well as participate in activity of partnership.
2.3 )
Volunteer, guidelines for development in establishing systematic
information of community regarding to the occupation, competency, wisdom of community
people in order to recognize and honor those who were working, and constructing good
atmosphere in cooperated working so that the parents and community would be able to
organize their time in helping the school. It was congruent with Roong Kaewdang (1999
cited in Nattapon Chaladyam, 2010) in type 4 of participation: Participation in gaining
Benefits. The important thing to be observed, included the Views, Preferences, and
Expectation which could influence by being able to modify behaviors of different groups of
people.
2.4 ) Learning at home, guidelines for development included the teachers as
well as parents made plan for student development collaboratively, went for home visit more
frequent, and provide activities enhancing the students to learn at home as well as organize
and utilize their spare time, and recorded and followed up the students regularly. It was
congruent with Epstein’s ( 1 9 9 5 ) study in “Family and School Cooperation in Educational
Management for collaborating in Enhancing the Studenta’ Success in Education.”
2.5) Decision Making, guidelines for development I this aspect included : the
school had to provide knowledge in rule and guidelines for official practice for parents and
community in order to make decision. Besides, the school had to empower the decision
making for the established special organization. It was supported by Sanders’ ( 1 9 9 6 )
statement of rationale leading to partnership of parents in student development that : there
were 10 aspects every division had to be aware of.
2.6 ) Working with community, guidelines for development in this aspect
included: the school had to develop awareness for parents and community in developing the
The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
children’s learning source. Since the children’s learning could be incurred everywhere in
community. Precise working guidelines would cause common and good understanding.
Moreover, the organization of parents and alumni should be established systematically and
truly in order to support collaborated work with community to be more efficient. It was
congruent with Samat Kobkoontod (2005) study in “Guidelines for Parents and Community
Partnership for Student Development by using Participatory Action Research: A Case Study
of Bang Chued Suksa School,” which provided knowledge of guideline for developing the
Parents and Community Partnership and extended into the school boards, parents in class
level, and community level which would lead to sustainable development of Parents and
Community Partnership for Student Development.
7. Recommendations
Recommendations from this study
1. Principal of Banwangpon School can apply the finding conditions of parents and
community partnership in school development
2. Schools or the organizations in the Educational Service Area can apply the finding
in this research with the Small-sized school that their conditions are similar to Banwangpon
School.
3. School, parents and community must realize the importance of partnership that
extremely affects the improvement of students and help to develop it in school and
community together.
Recommendations for future research
1.parents and community partnership realize the importance of all cooperation.
Therefore it should have the Participatory Action Research of schools, parents and community
to create the permanent partnership.
2.The schools that have the similar state to the researcher’s case should have more
intensive research by applying various tools and more time to explain the phenomenon
clearly. So it could help creating the great form of the parents and community partnership.
8. References
Buasuwan, Promwilai. (2011). Family and School: Partner for Student Quality.
Bangkok: Sangdao Printing.
Chalardyam, Nattapong. (2010). Strategy for Cooperation in developing the Basic School
Curriculum, under The Office of Nongbualampoo Educational Service Area 1.
Doctor of Education Thesis in Educational Administration, Graduate School,
Khon Kaen University.
Chongchairak, Yuwarat. (2004). A Study of Participation by House, School, and
Community in Early Childhood Educational Management in Learning
Reform School for Student Quality Development. Master of Education Thesis
in Early Childhood, Chulalongkorn University.
Epstein, J.L. (1992).School and family partnership. In M. Alkin. Encyclopedia of
educational research. 6 th ed. New York: Macmillan.
Kosoom, Sirikan. (1999). Participation of Community and School for Basic Education
Management. Doctor of Education Thesis, Srinagarinwirote University.
Ministry of Education. (2002). National Education Act 1999, and the Revised Issue (the
2nd Issue) 2002. Bangkok: The Express Transportation Organization of Thailand.
Poosri, Sangtong. (2002). Approach and Practice in Partner between Family and School
inEducational Management: Quantitative Research and Qualitative Research
The 7th International Conference on Educational Research:
13-14 September 2014, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
in Secondary School. Master of Education Thesis in Educational Research,
Chulalongkorn University.
Sanders, M. G. (1996). Building family partnerships that last. Educational leadership, 54(3),
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