Abstract:
The purposes of this research were to study on the operation and its problems in developing local curriculum for social studies at the secondary education level. The sample for answering the questionnaire were 208 head divisions of social studies and 3 social studies teachers who constructed new courses were inerviewed. The research instruments a set of questionnaire and an interview form. Data analyzed by means of frequencies and percentage. Research findings were as follows : 1. The operation in developing local curriculum for social studies in 5 categories 1.1 The operation of local curriculum developing in the aspects of curriculum structure, personnel resources and study of local information, it appeared that most of social studies techers developed the course of Our Community (Soc.071), participated in local curriculum developing process andthe local wisdom was studied by means of the interview. Modifying instructional activities or extra activities was mostly done but developed new courses was least done. 1.2 The following details of the local curriculum developing in each categories were : (a) Modifying instructional activities or extra activities. Lesson plans were designed relevant to the local curriculum with the local love tie as the main purpose, integrated learning and fieldtrip to the local resources was organized as the instructional activities (b) Modifying curriculum content. The main purpose was to emphasize the importance of local wisdom by modifying the content on folk art and local wisdom. (c) Modifying instructional media. Survey documents and books on instructional media, criteria for modifying media was set and worksheet on local knowledge was modified (d) Developing new instructional media. Criteria for developing new instructional media and the supplementary reading books on local knowledge were produced. (e) Developing new courses. New courses were developed namely Local Chiengmai Culture course and 6 series of courses in Islamic studies with the purpose of local love tie and the local needs. 2. The main problems of the local curriculum development in social studies were the teachers tacked of knowledge experience indeveloping in local curriculum, budget, curriculum specialists and heavy teching loads