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Publications / International Journal of Innovative and Multidisciplinary Research / Vol. 1, No. 2 (2026)
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Leadership Competency of the New School Administrators under the Primary School Office Areas in the Eastern Region of Thailand

Willard Jeff V. Pada, Pojanee Mangkang, Annop Phothisuk

International Journal of Innovative and Multidisciplinary Research · Vol. 1, No. 2 (2026) · pp. 111-122 · Published 2026-08-27

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Abstract

This study examined the leadership competencies of new administrators in primary schools in Thailand's eastern region. A 71-item questionnaire measuring 14 leadership competency dimensions was administered to 119 school administrators with five years or less of experience, drawn from eight Primary Educational Service Areas under the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) in Thailand's Eastern Region. The instrument achieved excellent content validity (CVR = 1.00, CVI = 1.00, based on three expert validators) and excellent internal consistency (overall Cronbach’s α = .990; dimension-level α = .865-.931). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). All 14 competency dimensions were confirmed as valid (KMO = .827-.936; Bartlett’s test p < .001) and rated in the “High” range, with a grand mean of 4.48. Second-order CFA supported the overarching leadership competency construct, with standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.719 to 1.000. Despite generally high self-perceived competency, Problem Solving, Conflict Management, Decision Making, Strategic Planning, and Innovation emerged as the five highest-priority dimensions for development. These findings establish an empirical, expert-validated baseline of leadership competency needs among new administrators in the region and provide an important foundation for designing future leadership development initiatives.

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DOI
https://doi.org/10.66206/eduheart.ijimr.26
ISSN
3116-5990
Published
2026-08-27
License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Copyright
© 2026 International Journal of Innovative and Multidisciplinary Research
Publisher
EduHeart Knowledge Network and Publishing, Inc.

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