Structural Equation Model Leadership of School Administrators Affecting high-Performance Organization of Secondary Educational Service Area in The Northeastern Region

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) develop a causal relationship model of school administrators’ leadership affecting the high-performance organization of schools; 2) examine the consistency of the developed model with empirical data; and 3) propose guidelines for developing school administrators’ leadership affecting the high-performance organization of schools under the Secondary Educational Service Area Offices in Northeastern Thailand. The study employed a mixed methods research design and was conducted in three phases. Phase 1 involved developing the hypothetical model through a review of relevant literature and research and interviews with five experts. Phase 2 examined the model using empirical data from 638 school administrators and teachers selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. The research instrument was a five-point rating-scale questionnaire with an overall reliability coefficient of .97. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Phase 3 involved synthesizing development guidelines from the structural model results and interviews with five experts.
The findings showed that:
1. The model consisted of four causal variables: transformational leadership, strategic management, human resource management, and learning management, all of which were related to school high-performance organization.
2. The model was consistent with the empirical data, with χ² = 123.17, df = 106, p = .12177, GFI = .983, AGFI = .959, and RMSEA = .016. The model explained 78 percent of the variance in high-performance organization. Human resource management had the strongest direct effect on high-performance organization (β = .93, p < .01), followed by learning management (β = .22, p < .01).
3. The development guidelines emphasized strengthening administrators’ vision and ability to motivate personnel, setting clear strategic goals, systematically developing human resources, and using information to support planning and assessment in learning management.