Developing a Program to Enhance Innovative Leadership among School Administrators in Buriram’s Education Sandbox, Thailand

Abstract

This study investigated (1) the current and desirable conditions and priority needs for enhancing innovative leadership among school administrators in Buriram’s Education Sandbox, and (2) the development and evaluation of a program to strengthen such leadership. A mixed-methods design was implemented in two phases. In Phase 1, quantitative data were collected from 282 school administrators and teachers using stratified random sampling. A five-point rating scale questionnaire was employed, and data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and the modified Priority Needs Index (PNI_modified). In Phase 2, the needs assessment results informed the development of a leadership enhancement program, which was subsequently evaluated by five experts for appropriateness and feasibility. The results indicated that the current level of innovative leadership was moderate, while the desirable level was highest. Among the four components, innovative vision demonstrated the greatest priority need, followed by creativity, organizational innovation climate, and teamwork. The developed program consisted of six components: principles, objectives, content, development methods, media, and evaluation. Its content was structured into four modules aligned with the identified needs. Expert evaluation confirmed that the program was highly appropriate and feasible for implementation. This study offers a context-specific leadership development program that can support educational reform and foster innovation in decentralized school systems.