The implementation of the two-year diploma in plant science program of the College of Agriculture and Technology in upper northern Thailand: an evaluation

The study sought to assess the implementation of the two-year diploma in plant science program in terms of its teachers, students, and school administrators characteristics; plant science program objectives as well as course content, teaching competencies, and administrative support. Also, it sought to determine the students' average grades and acquired skills proficiency in PS subjects, and adequacy of school resources. The study was conducted in five Colleges of Agriculture and Technology in upper northern Thailand involving 45 teachers, 172 students and 15 school administrators. The data were gathered through survey questionnaires translated in Thai language and pretested in one college of agriculture not included in the study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and Pearson Product Moment of Correlation were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that teacher and administrator respondents were predominantly male and married with a mean age of 46.93 and 50 years, respectively while students' mean age was 20.38 years. Most teachers and administrators held a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, respectively. Majority of the teachers had a rank of skilled teacher and the college administrators, a vice director rank. Both had a mean salary of 25,000 baht and 28,166.67 baht per month, respectively. More than half of the teachers had teaching load, had taught for more than 25 years, attended some training and lived inside the college campus. The student respondents were mostly male, and had a family mean income of 4,719.77 baht/month. Majority of their parents finished elementary school, were engaged in farming and had a mean family size of 5.51 persons. Almost all of the student respondents revealed that they wished to pursue a Bachelor's degree. The on-the-job training conducted under the Private Agriculture Office ranged from 61 to 90 days in the areas of fruit crops, flower plants, and ornamental plants. Their highest grades in plant science subjects were found in plant physiology, specific field crops and project subjects. The objectives and course content of the PS program were perceived to be adequate and very adequate, respectively, while teaching competencies were described as very good. The school resources were described as adequate and good, respectively, skills proficiency acquired by students, very good and the administrative support, good by teachers while students and administrators described them as very good. Highly significant differences were found between the teachers' and students' perceptions on the implementation of the PS program. The inter correlation analysis revealed highly significant (P0.01) between and among average grades in PS subjects, acquired skills proficiency, teaching competencies, administrative support, and school resources in terms of physical plant, facilities and laboratory, lecture materials and equipment, references, books, etc. laboratory apparatuses, and field practice tools and equipment. The components of the Plant Science program that need to be enriched based on the findings and recommendations were course descriptions of major subjects of the program, number of hours for practice subjects and other areas if specialization.