Needs and Feasibility of Academic Leadership Program for Secondary School Administrators

Abstract

This research aimed to find out the needs regarding the academic leadership of secondary school administrators, and to develop a program to enhance the academic leadership of these administrators. Mixed-methods approach was employed through utilizing questionnaires, interviews, and evaluation forms as research instruments. The sample consisted of 308 school administrators and teachers under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office of Phetchabun, Thailand. They were selected through stratified random sampling to find out needs. Additionally, 5 experts were purposively selected as key informants to validate the program. Data were collected from questionnaires and interviews were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. The findings revealed that the current state of academic leadership was at a moderate level overall, whereas the desired state was at a high level. The priority need for enhancing academic leadership, ranked from highest to lowest, were as follows promoting a learning-conducive environment, teacher development, mission formulation, and instructional supervision. The academic leadership program comprised 5 key components: principles, objectives, content, development methods, and assessment and evaluation. The overall feasibility of the program was rated at the highest level.