Innovative Competency Development of Vocational Teachers Through Professional Learning Community: A Participatory Action Research
Authors: Mosakul Chakorn , Ariratana Wallapha , Wachrakul Chiranan 
Published: January 2025

This research aimed to 1) study the components and indicators of innovative competency of vocational teachers, 2) study the current status, desired status and needs in developing innovative competency of vocational teachers, 3) develop innovative competency of vocational teachers through professional learning communities, and 4) evaluate the outcomes of innovative competency development of vocational teachers. The research was divided into 4 phases: Phase 1 studied the components and indicators of innovative competency of vocational teachers. The informants were 9 qualified persons who were selected by purposive selection. Phase 2 studied the current status, desired status and needs in developing innovative competency of vocational teachers. The sample group was 234 administrators and teachers from government vocational education institutions in Roi Et Province, selected by stratified random sampling. Phase 3 developed innovative competency of vocational teachers through professional learning communities. The target group was 9 teachers who volunteered to participate in the development. Phase 4 evaluated the outcomes of developing innovative competency of vocational teachers. The informants were 9 teachers who volunteered to participate in the development. The research instruments were interview forms, observation forms, assessment forms, and questionnaires, with a reliability of 0.937 for the entire questionnaire. Data were analyzed using basic statistics, the priority need index, and inductive analysis.  The research results found that: There were 4 components and 14 indicators of innovation competence in vocational education teachers, consisting of: 1) Creativity, with 4 indicators; 2) Application of knowledge to develop innovation, with 3 indicators; 3) Creative confidence, with 3 indicators; and 4) Teamwork, with 4 indicators. The current state of innovation competence in vocational education teachers is at a high level, and the overall desired state is at the highest level. The needs for innovation competence development in vocational education teachers are ranked as follows: 1) Application of knowledge to develop innovation; 2) Creative thinking; and 3) Creative confidence and teamwork, which have the same need index for development. The results of the development of innovative competence of vocational teachers with professional learning communities in 4 components, 14 empirical goals in the first round of research, 9 items were successfully developed, 5 items were not successfully developed, namely 1) teachers think outside the box to create works, 2) teachers have new ideas that are useful, 3) teachers design innovations, 4) teachers have skills in testing innovations, and 5) teachers can communicate effectively. When developing again in the second round of research, all empirical goals were successfully developed. 4. The results of the development of innovative competence of vocational teachers through professional learning communities found that there was a change resulting from learning by doing at the individual, group, and organizational levels. At the individual level, there was learning from following the research steps, there was an exchange of knowledge and experiences about creating inventions and innovations continuously. At the group level, there was a culture of systematic collaboration and a strong network of innovative teachers within the educational institution. At the organizational level, executives, teachers, and personnel had an effective knowledge management approach for developing innovative competence of teachers, an organizational culture that emphasized learning by doing, and the overall product innovation evaluation results were at a very good level