The Development of Curriculum for Vocational Promotion of Special Needs Children Based on Rice Culture in Chalerm Phra Kiat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

This research article aimed to: (1) study the fundamental information and needs for developing a vocational curriculum for children with special needs based on rice culture in Chalerm Phra Kiat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province; (2) develop the vocational curriculum for children with special needs based on rice culture in Chalerm Phra Kiat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province; (3) implement and trial a vocational curriculum for children with special needs based on rice culture in Chalerm Phra Kiat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province; and (4) evaluate and improve the implementation of a vocational curriculum for children with special needs based on rice culture in Chalerm Phra Kiat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The target group consisted of 15 pairs (30 individuals in total), selected through voluntary participation. The research instruments included interviews, focus group discussion guidelines, vocational skills and attributes assessment forms and curriculum satisfaction questionnaires. All the instruments were validated by experts. The limitation of this study is that it may only apply to children with special needs in schools or special education centres located in Chaloem Phra Kiat District. Consequently, the findings may not be generalisable to children with special needs in other districts or provinces. Future research should broaden its scope to encompass other categories of children with special needs. This expansion ought to be accompanied by the development of educational media, innovative tools, or technology integrated with the curriculum to enhance engagement and accessibility for these learners. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis, and quantitative data were interpreted using statistical methods. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis, while quantitative data were analysed using percentages, means (x), and standard deviations (S.D.). The research findings are summarised as follows.
The results of the needs assessment indicated a common expectation among the participants. In the area of local food, there was a desire to promote careers in traditional Thai dessert-making. For handicrafts, the preferred activities were those with simple processes that children could complete successfully. In the area of creative work, there was a desire to support the production of low-cost, locally made souvenirs using community-sourced materials. Emphasis was placed on hands-on training conducted by local wisdom holders who shared knowledge and provided experiential learning opportunities.
The curriculum development results revealed that the curriculum consisted of ten components: (1) principles, (2) goals, (3) activity guidelines, (4) activity formats, (5) course description, (6) learning objectives, (7) activity structure, (8) learning media/resources, (9) assessment and evaluation, and (10) a student development activity plan. The draft curriculum was reviewed and deemed appropriate in the following aspects: (1) alignment with the needs for student development activities, (2) consistency with the local context by integrating community strengths into income-generating careers, and (3) curriculum implementation strategies that foster vocational skills and career-related attributes.
The curriculum implementation phase involved five steps: Step 1 – providing basic knowledge; Step 2 – selecting topics of interest; Step 3 – planning and learning from local wisdom experts; Step 4 – practical implementation, where students followed their plans systematically; and Step 5 – presentation and discussion of the outcomes. Student assessments were conducted throughout and after the implementation. The results showed that both students’ and parents’ overall vocational skills were at a good level, vocational attributes were also at a good level, and satisfaction with the curriculum development activities was at a high level.
Curriculum evaluation and revision indicated that overall vocational skills and attributes were at a good level, and satisfaction levels were high. However, areas for improvement were identified: (1) the number of hours allocated for activities was limited, which affected the full development of vocational skills and attributes; and (2) the language used in the criteria for assessing students’ work was overly complex, leading to misunderstandings in the evaluation process. Consequently, the assessment criteria were revised for greater clarity and usability.