The Guidelines to Develop the Digital Leadership for Teachers under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office Loei-Nong Bua Lamphu

Abstract

In the era of rapid digital transformation, developing teachers' digital leadership is crucial for enhancing educational quality. This research aimed to 1) study the current conditions, desirable conditions, and needs assessment of digital leadership among teachers, and 2) explore guidelines for developing digital leadership of teachers under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office Loei Nong Bua Lamphu. The study employed a mixed-methods research design. The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved a survey of 314 participants, including school administrators and teachers, using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNImodified). The second phase included a qualitative study of best practices in three exemplary schools and an evaluation of the proposed guidelines by five experts, using semi-structured interviews and content analysis.

         Results revealed that the current condition of teachers' digital leadership was at a low level overall ( = 2.38, S.D. = 0.49), while the desirable condition was at the highest level ( = 4.67, S.D. = 0.46). The needs assessment identified four critical areas for development, ranked by priority: 1) digital vision, 2) communication, 3) digital knowledge, and 4) collaboration.

         Based on these findings, guidelines for developing teachers' digital leadership were proposed, comprising 25 strategies across the four identified areas. These guidelines were evaluated by experts and found to have the highest level of appropriateness ( = 4.98) and feasibility ( = 4.93) for implementation.

          Key recommendations include establishing digital leadership standards for teachers, revising teacher education curricula, allocating resources for technology integration in schools, and creating collaborative networks between schools, universities, and the technology sector.