Abstract

In this study, we aimed to (a) examine the current and desirable states and identify priority needs for developing collective leadership among secondary school administrators, (b) develop a program to strengthen collective leadership, and (c) examine the effects of implementing the program. We employed a research-and-development design in three phases. In Phase 1, we collected data from 380 secondary school administrators and teachers in northeastern Thailand using a 5-point rating scale questionnaire. We used the mean, standard deviation, and modified Priority Needs Index for data analysis. In Phase 2, we developed the program through document analysis, interviews with five exemplary administrators, and expert evaluation. In Phase 3, we implemented the program with 20 volunteer secondary school administrators. We collected data using a 30-item knowledge test and a collective leadership evaluation form and analysed them using a paired-samples t test. The findings indicate that the current state of collective leadership was high, whereas the desirable state was at the highest level. Priority needs, ranked from highest to lowest, were collaborative change creation, network building, collaboration building, shared vision setting, achievement orientation, and strong team building. The developed program comprised rationale, objectives, six learning modules, development methods and activities, and measurement and evaluation. After implementation, participants’ knowledge and collective leadership scores were significantly higher than before the program at the .01 level.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.