PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY OCCUPATIONAL POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR QUALITY OF LIFE ENHANCEMENT IN NONTHABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

 The objectives of this research were to 1) examine the public participation process in occupational development aimed at enhancing the quality of life for communities in Nonthaburi Province 2) investigate the level of public participation in occupational development aimed at enhancing the quality of life for communities in Nonthaburi Province and 3) analyze the role of community leadership in promoting public participation and developing the occupational potential of communities to enhance their quality of life in Nonthaburi Province. This study employed a mixed-methods research design. 1) For the qualitative component, 20 participants were purposively selected based on predefined criteria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. 2) For the quantitative component, 400 participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using a statistical software package, employing descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation. The research findings revealed that the participatory process must originate from within the community. Occupational development should be grounded in the local community's problems, needs, potential, and inherent capital, rather than being dictated by externally imposed projects or activities. Effective participation requires joint conception, planning, decision-making, implementation, benefit - sharing, and evaluation. Community leaders emerged as crucial linking and driving mechanisms. Overall, the level of public participation was high ( = 4.40, S.D. = 0.685). The highest mean score was observed in the aspect of implementation and operation ( = 4.45, S.D. = 0.730), while the aspect of benefit - sharing had the lowest mean score, yet still remained at a high level ( = 4.05, S.D. = 0.787). Empowering community leadership, characterized by vision, trust - building, decentralization, and networking, was identified as a critical mechanism for fostering participation, a sense of ownership, and self - management capabilities within the community, ultimately leading to occupational development and an improved quality of life