Abstract:
The objective of this study was to assess the needs of the competency development of school administrators in the 21st century. The participants consisted of 327 school administrators and teachers in schools under Sakon Nakhon Primary Educational Service Area Office 1, who were recruited using multi-stage sampling. The instruments used to collect the data included, 1) an evaluation form to assess the propriety of the components of administrator competency in the 21st century and 2) a questionnaire, which the part of the current state indicated validity index ranged from 0.60-1.00, discrimination power index ranged between 0.167-0.868, and reliability index was at 0.98, where as the desirable states indicated validity index ranged from 0.60-1.00, discrimination power index between 0.195- 0.914, and reliability index was at 0.98. The collected data were analyzed for frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and modified priority needs index.
The findings were as follows.
1. The competencies of the 21st century administrators consisted of six components, namely 1) self-development, 2) teamwork, 3) utilization of Information technology in operations, 4) good services, 5) vision, and 6) achievement motivation. The components were rated, in overall, at the highest level of propriety.
2. The current state of the 21st century administrator competencies, in overall, was rated at high level, whereas the desirable state,in overall, was rated at the highest level
3. The needs of competency development of the 21st century administrators indicated an overall modified priority needs index at 0.097. The components were prioritized form vision, followed by self-development, good service, achievement motivation, teamwork, and utilization of information technology in operations, respectively.
4. The proposed guidelines for 21st century school administrators competency development composed of three aspects, namely 1) vision, included, organizational management, vision creation and vision dissemination, 2) good service, included client satisfaction and service commitment. and 3) self-development, included knowledge acquisition and self-behavioral adjustment. The guidelines were rated at the highest level of propriety.