การกำหนดกลยุทธ์เพื่อส่งเสริมการวิจัยของหลักสูตรการทัพอากาศ กองทัพอากาศ : วิธีวิจัยแบบผสมของการสังเคราะห์งานวิจัย การวิจัยเชิงสำรวจ และการวิจัยประเมินความต้องการจำเป็น / นาวาอากาศเอก พงษ์สุวรรณ ศรีสุวรรณ = Strategy formulation for research promotion of the Royal Thai Air Force Air War Program : a mixed-research method of research synthesis, survey and needs assessment research / Group Captain Pongsuwan Srisuwan
The objectives of this research were 1) to identify the research issues and the research approaches consistent with the Royal Thai Air Force research policy and to investigate problems related to research course operations as well as the environment promoting the research course of the Air War Program 2) to synthesize the issues and approaches of the research papers of the Air War Program graduates and compare the synthesized findings with the RTAF research policy. in terms of the congruence with the research issues and approaches that RTAF required 3) to assess the needs for research course development of the Air War Program 4) to formulate appropriate strategies for research course promotion of the Air War Program. This research employed the mixed-research method which consisted of research synthesis, survey research, and needs assessment research. Data were collected from the the populations of 27 Air War College instructors, the sample of 336 graduates from the academic year 2005 to 2009, the populations of 69 students of the academic year 2010, and the populations of 316 research papers of the graduates from the academic year 2005 to 2009. The research tools consisted of the questions for focus group discussion, interview forms, research paper evaluation forms, research paper synthesis forms, questionnaires, and the investigation forms for the strategy appropriateness. Quantitative data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics to acquire frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Qualitative data were analyzed by means of content analysis with the technique of Modified Priority Needs Index (PNI [superscript modified) to prioritize the needs, whereas SWOT Analysis was applied to formulate the strategies on only one certain part of a survey research. The key findings were concluded as follows: 1) The research issues consistent with the RTAF research policy were knowledge and innovation which were applied for (1) personnel management, training, and development (2) procurement of military equipment for the full capability of the force deployment in various operations levels (3) air power employment of air threat surveillance defense (4) air power employment of joint maneuvering operations with other services (5) air power employment of people supports and country developments (6) development of the RTAF organization and management system (7) military principles and doctrine development. When considered the research approaches which were relevant to the RTAF policy, it was divided into 2 aspects 1) research designs and 2) research results. The research design the RTAF required was R&D. The research results related to research findings were: applied knowledge and innovation, whereas the research results related to research recommendations were research implementation at both operation and policy levels. 2) Problems concerning the research course operation of the Air War Program consisted of 4 aspects namely course management problems, instructor problems, student problems, and instruction problems. Concerning the internal environment for research promotion of the Air War Program, it consisted of factors which were both strengths and weaknesses. These factors were manpower, materials, and course management. In addition, factors, which were only weaknesses, were organization structure and policy, course effectiveness and financial efficiency. Regarding every individual external environment, it consisted of both opportunities and threats which were politics and laws, economics, social and culture, as well as technology. 3) The research issues and research approaches of the graduates were found inconsistent with the research issues and research approaches of the RTAF requirement. 3) The needs for research course development of the Air War Program were divided into 4 aspects namely research course instruction needs, research characteristics of students needs, research skills of students needs, and research counseling characteristics of instructors needs. 4) Strategies promoting the research course of the Air War Program consisted of 5 main strategies, 17 sub-strategies and 74 strategies for the action level. The five main strategies were strategies to develop (1) research promotion policy, (2) research course management, (3) instructor development, (4) student development, and (5) research course instructions.
