Teacher Development in Promoting Student Morality and Ethics, Wat Khao Chaeng Thian Theparam School, Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) study the current conditions and problems concerning the promotion of morality and ethics among students at Wat Khao Chaeng Thian Theparam School under the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization; and 2) propose guidelines for developing teachers’ ability to promote morality and ethics among students. This action research employed the PAOR process—Plan, Act, Observe, and Reflect—based on the concepts of Kemmis and McTaggart. The key informants comprised 65 participants: 38 teachers, 12 student committee members, and 15 school board members. The research instruments included observation forms, interview guidelines, focus-group discussion guidelines, and researcher-developed evaluation forms. The data were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, and descriptive analysis.

The research findings revealed that: 1) most teachers recognized the importance of instilling morality and ethics in students but lacked a systematic and continuous approach; 2) the school organized morality-promoting activities, such as chanting, merit-making on important occasions, and campaigns encouraging good behavior, but these activities had not been sufficiently integrated into classroom instruction; 3) most students demonstrated fundamental moral qualities, including discipline and gratitude, although some lacked responsibility and public-mindedness; and 4) school administrators had established policies to promote morality and ethics but lacked a concrete monitoring and evaluation system.

The principal problems were that teachers lacked the knowledge and skills required to integrate morality and ethics into lesson plans; internal supervision and knowledge exchange among teachers were insufficient; some students exhibited inappropriate behavior, such as using impolite language, arriving late, and lacking volunteer spirit; and parental and community participation in cultivating students’ morality remained limited.

Following the teacher-development process, teachers were able to design and implement lesson plans that meaningfully integrated morality and ethics into learning activities. Creative activities—including “Morality Classroom,” “Friends Helping Friends,” and “Good Students with Volunteer Spirit”—were organized. Students’ moral behavior continuously improved, particularly in discipline, honesty, gratitude, and public-mindedness. Furthermore, the school developed an environment conducive to becoming a “Moral School” and gained recognition from the community.