Needs Assessment of Digital-Era Academic Administration for Secondary Schools in Northern Thailand

Abstract

This research aimed to study the current and desired states and to assess the priority needs of digital-era academic administration for secondary schools in Northern Thailand. The study employed a quantitative survey research design. Data were collected from 210 school administrators, selected by stratified random sampling proportional to the administrator population and school size, from a population of 459 administrators across 17 northern provinces. The research instrument was a five-point rating-scale questionnaire covering five domains of academic administration. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNImodified). The findings revealed that the current state of digital-era academic administration was at a high level, whereas the desired state was at the highest level. The component with the highest priority need was digital technology integration and data-driven decision making, followed by strategic management and quality assurance, twenty-first-century learner competency development, participation and collaborative networks, and competency-based instruction and assessment, respectively. The most critical needs concerned the information security system, the promotion of creative and ethical use of technology by teachers, and the use of information for policy decision making. These findings indicate that structural problems in information technology constitute the most significant barrier to digital-era academic administration.

Keywords: Needs Assessment, Digital Academic Administration, Secondary Schools, Northern Thailand, PNI Modified