A Development Model of Educational Leadership of Middle Administrators in Saint Gabriel Foundation Schools

Abstract

This study aimed 1. To identify the most desirable leadership characteristics of Middle Administrators of Saint Gabriel Foundation schools in Thailand. 2. To explore the leadership characteristics of Middle Administrators of Saint Gabriel Foundation Schools in Thailand. 3. To develop a model to enhance leadership of Middle Administrators in Saint Gabriel Foundation Schools in Thailand. The qualitative and quantitative methods were applied during the study. Content analysis, questionnaire, and focus group were took place in order to find out and to identify the most desirable leadership characteristics and practices of administrators, explore the leadership characteristics and practices of administrators, develop the model to enhance leadership characteristics and practices of administrators of Saint Gabriel Foundation Schools in Thailand later on.

The participants of the study were 1,180 teachers from 11 schools of Saint Gabriel Foundation in Thailand. The frequency, percentage and the modified (PNI) were used in the research processes to find out the priority needs. The findings of the study namely: 1) Courage; act or do something because it is right, correct, and necessary, even if it is difficult, unpopular, or distasteful to implement, informs others if they do something not appropriate or not right, tells others what he/she thinks not what they want to hear, identifies frustrating behaviors of others, and asks for advice when facing problems. 2) Creative; rethinking design, creating new value is perhaps the most important behavior for the long-term health of an organization, also builds an ideas of others, changes his/her ways of working, searches for new information, not using existing information, and has different ideas respectively. 3) Confidence; the ability to be certain about one’s competencies and skills. It includes a sense of self-esteem and self-assurance and the belief that one can make a difference. Leadership involves influencing others, and self- confidence allows the leader to feel assured that his or her attempts to influence others are appropriate and right., 4) Caring; notice what their people are doing, and not just what they're doing "right" or "wrong", understand how everything that each team member does relates to the team's mission, goals and standards for performance. It includes knowing strengths and weakness of others to help them develop or improve and gives consideration to others.