Abstract:
The purposes of this study were to develop, implement and evaluate a model for producing
small business entrepreneurs in home economics. Artificial flower business was chosen as the
content of the model. The population of this study was the fourth year students majoring General
Home Economics-Invention Business, Rajamangala University of Technology Bangkok. The
samples of the study were the students selected, using the set criteria, from those interested in
joining the training organized from October 2009-February 2010.
With regard to the model construction, a curriculum, a training kit on producing small
business entrepreneurs of artificial flower business, and another kit on producing business
facilitators were developed. The entrepreneur training kit consisted of eight modules while the
facilitator one comprised 6 modules. Fifteen specialists assessed the first kit while three evaluated
the second one. According to the specialists, both kits were appropriate at a high level.
The model was implemented step by step, starting with selecting the applicants, followed
by training the new entrepreneurs and the facilitators. Only the applicants from the same field
were selected. The curriculum was designed for specific occupation training. The trainers were
those specialized in the same specific area. This would ensure that the trainees could apply their
gained knowledge to writing and implementing their business plan. For the training of
facilitators, the teacher trainees had to observe the entrepreneur training all the time so that they
would be good business facilitators in the future. The appropriateness of the developed model was
evaluated by 15 specialists and its feasibility was assessed by 15 related people. The results of
both assessments were that the model was very appropriate and very feasible.
With respect to the production of facilitators in artificial flower business, nine teachers
were interested in joining the training, but only 5 five were selected due to the criteria. For the
production of entrepreneurs, 33 students applied for the training, but only 12 were qualified.
According to the follow-up, it was found that, six months after the training, five people
established their own artificial flower business, and one more did so after another three months,
making the total of six.
Regarding the satisfaction of the model, it was found, as a whole, that the trainees were
much satisfied with the training model. The trainees were also asked to evaluate their satisfaction
with the implementation of the training. The result was that the satisfaction was at a highest level.
According to the business facilitators, their satisfaction with the project implementation was also
at a highest level.