Academic Administration for Promoting 21st Century Learning Skills for Hearing-Impaired Students of Special Education Schools in the Northern Region under the Bureau of Special Education Administration

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were 1) to study academic administration for promoting 21st century learning skills for hearing-impaired students of Special Education Schools in the Northern Region under the Bureau of Special Education Administration; and 2) to study guidelines for developing academic administration to promote 21st century learning skills for hearing-impaired students of Special Education Schools in the Northern Region under the Bureau of Special Education Administration. This study was a mixed-methods research. The quantitative research involved a population of 132 school administrators and teachers from Special Education Schools in the Northern Region under the Bureau of Special Education Administration during the 2025 academic year. A sample of 97 participants was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s table. The research instrument was a questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.85. The qualitative research involved interviews with 5 key informants selected through purposive sampling, utilizing an interview schedule. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and content analysis. The research findings revealed that 1) academic administration for promoting 21st century learning skills for hearing-impaired students of Special Education Schools in the Northern Region was at a high level overall (= 4.46, S.D. = 0.65), with all individual aspects also rated at a high level; and 2) guidelines for developing academic administration for promoting 21st century learning skills for hearing-impaired students should address five areas: 1) regarding the measurement and evaluation of educational management, a system for authentic assessment should be developed, and the results utilized to improve teaching and learning; 2) in terms of  academic planning, the planning process should be developed systematically and encourage participation; 3) in the aspect of school curriculum, it should be developed to be flexible and appropriate for learners by integrating 21st-century skills and Thai Sign Language; 4) regarding quality assurance, the educational quality assurance system should be strengthened; and 5) in terms of teaching and learning management, instruction should be developed to be learner-centered, utilizing appropriate media and technology.