A Model for The Development of Creative Leadership of School Administrators under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office, Maha Sarakham

Abstract

Background and Aims: Creative leadership by school administrators plays a crucial role in enhancing student outcomes, especially in an era of complex educational change and increasing competition. Effective educational management requires collaboration from all relevant stakeholders. School administrators serve as key drivers in steering the organization toward its goals through creative leadership, which enables schools to adapt and develop efficiently. Therefore, this study aims to: 1) Study the components and indicators of creative leadership of school administrators. 2) Study the current situation, desirable condition and needs assessment of creative leadership of school administrators. 3) Develop a model for creative leadership of school administrators. 4) Study the results of using the model for creative leadership of school administrators.

Methodology: The research was divided into four phases: Phase 1: studied components and indicators of creative leadership of school administrators. The key informants consisted of seven experts. Phase 2: studied the current situation, desirable conditions, and needs assessment of creative leadership of school administrators. The sample group consisted of 331 school administrators and teachers. The research instrument was a five-level Likert scale questionnaire with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.79. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Phase 3: Developing a model for creative leadership of school administrators. The key informants included six experts and nine experts. Phase 4: Study the results of using the model for creative leadership of school administrators. The target group consisted of 15 school administrators.

Results: 1. The components and indicators of creative leadership of school administrators consisted of: (1) creativity, (2) imagination, (3) flexibility and adaptability, (4) vision, and (5) individualized consideration. 2. The current state was rated at a high level, while the desired state was at the highest level. The ranking of needs assessment, from highest to lowest, was as follows: (1) individualized consideration, (2) flexibility and adaptability, (3) creativity, (4) vision, and (5) imagination. 3. The developed model comprised five key elements: (1) principles, (2) objectives, (3) content, (4) development processes, and (5) evaluation and assessment. The content was structured into five modules: Module 1: Creativity, Module 2: Imagination, Module 3: Flexibility and Adaptability, Module 4: Vision, and Module 5: Individualized consideration. The overall assessment of the model’s appropriateness, feasibility, and usefulness was rated at the highest level. 4.The evaluation of the model’s implementation revealed that participants demonstrated the highest level of creative leadership after development. Overall satisfaction with the model and the usability manual was also rated at the highest level.

Conclusion: Creative Leadership is a crucial factor that enables school administrators to manage effectively by inspiring and motivating personnel to think outside the box, make bold decisions, and adapt to changing circumstances. Research has identified five key components of creative leadership among school administrators: (1) creativity, (2) vision, (3) flexibility and adaptability, (4) individualized consideration, and (5) imagination. These components are essential in driving organizational development and addressing the challenges of the modern era.