Excellence Management Strategies for Sunday Buddhist Study Centers in the United Kingdom Toward School as Learning Communities
Keywords:
Strategies, Excellence Management, School as Learning CommunityAbstract
The purposes of this mixed-methods research were to (1) examine the needs for excellence management and schools as learning communities, (2) analyze external and internal environments, (3) formulate strategies for excellence management, and (4) validate the excellence management strategies of Buddhist Sunday Education Centers in the United Kingdom toward schools as learning communities. The participants included 217 administrators, teachers, and educational personnel from 23 Buddhist Sunday Education Centers, selected purposively according to specified criteria, together with 5 key informants for strategy validation. The research instruments consisted of questionnaires and a strategy evaluation form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the priority needs index, and content analysis. The results showed that (1) the highest priority need in excellence management was learner-centeredness, while in schools as learning communities it was vision; (2) the environmental analysis revealed overall opportunities and strengths, positioning the centers as “Rising Stars” (3) four main strategies were identified: 1) emphasizing learner-centeredness, 2) developing assessment, analysis, and knowledge management, 3) recruiting visionary leaders, and 4) implementing excellence management, supported by 18 sub-strategies; and (4) validation results indicated that the strategies were highly appropriate, useful, and cost-effective, with feasibility rated at a high level of feasibility.
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