Abstract

Thailand’s demographic transition to a complete aged society by 2023, with 20% of the population aged 60 and over, necessitates a thorough rethinking of existing educational leadership and systems in communities with aging populations. Additionally, no suitable theoretical study exists of the leadership requirements of the 2,390 elderly schools proliferating across Thailand. This research studied the leadership traits and leadership development models of high-performing elderly schools to determine the effects of aging population growth on educational leadership practices and to devise sustainable growth strategies. A hierarchical mixed-methods study was conducted on 16 outstanding elderly schools in Northern Thailand, including interviews with directors (n = 16), leadership assessments from subordinates (n = 64), and expert validation (n = 12). The qualitative approach was used to uncover leadership traits, whereas the quantitative approach was used to confirm the most prominent leadership traits. Expert validation was used to assist in developing a practical framework. Eleven key leadership traits were identified: personality traits (conscientiousness, altruism, cultural sensitivity, adaptability, growth mindset) and specific competencies (program planning, stakeholder coordination, resource management, group problem-solving, leadership development, cultural-technical integration). Altruism was rated with the highest score of 4.84 out of 5 by subordinates, indicating different measurement perspectives rather than competing theoretical perspectives, despite the director identifying conscientiousness as the most significant trait (mentioned 25 times in the interviews). Educational leadership is shifting toward community management, requiring cultural expertise and resource acquisition skills in network-based operations due to five contextual factors. To achieve this, development approaches prioritize experiential learning (mentioned 22 times) and mentoring (mentioned 15 times) over formal training (mentioned 7 times) because these methods align with cultural competence standards. The findings demonstrated that effective leadership in education for an aging society necessitates leaders who incorporate personal qualities with community-oriented competence, despite working in a network-based system, managing volunteers, and having limited resources. Operational success currently depends on individual altruistic behavior and a refusal to accept financial gain, but this strategy faces sustainability issues and calls for new institutional models integrating structured support networks with authentic community engagement. This study advances leadership theory by demonstrating that distinct educational leadership needs are created by shifting demographics. Simultaneously, it determines how to create a sustainable elderly education system for the global elderly population.

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