Abstract

The purposes of the research were 1) to study students’ level of professional competency 2) to compare students’ professional competency as classified by gender, major field of study, parent’s educational background, occupation, annual income and the students’ grade point average priors to the university admission 3) to determine factors as predictors of professional competency, and 4) to study processes which facilitate the students’ professional competency. Samples were 115 fourth year students in the Faculty of Education Silpakorn University of the academic year 2006 derived by simple random sampling for the first phase of study, and for the second phase of study were purposive sampling of 18 students from 6 major fields of study each of 3 students. Instruments used to collect data were 3 set of questionnaires and 1 interview questionnaire constructed by the researcher. Data were analyzed by percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, One-Way ANOVA and the Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. Content analysis was also used for qualitative data. The results found that : 1. The students’ professional competency was prevalent at the high level. 2. The students’ professional competency as classified by major field of study were significant differences (p < .001), while classified by gender, parent’s educational background, occupation, and annual income and the students grade point average prior to the university admission were not significant differences. 3. Program of innovative studies, attitude toward off campus peer group, in-class experiences and field experiences predicted the students’ professional competency at 40.1 % (p < .001). 4. Learning from direct experience as well as from situational experience were the processes which facilitated the development of students’ professional competency according to their awareness, especially from participation in teaching-learning process, field experience practicum, professional experience practicum, and projects concern professional experience.