INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOURS OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS THROUGH THEIR ADMINISTRATIONS IN THE BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN THAILAND

Abstract

Comparatively speaking, the performance of Thai administrators in international studies of Thailand's relatively weak human resource base has been pinpointed as one of the underlying factors in the cause of the economic and financial crisis that has hit the country over recent years very poor. This research reports on a study that investigated the role that Thai administrators’ interpersonal relationships with their teachers play in enhancing the teachers’ teaching plan and students’ achievement in the subject and in forming or changing the teachers’ attitudes to teaching arrangement. The questionnaires were administered to a sample of 716 teachers in 80 schools under the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC) throughout of Thailand. Administrator-teacher interactions were assessed with the 48-item Questionnaire on Administrator Interaction (QAI) which was adapted version from the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) (Wubbles & Levy, 1993). This questionnaire has an Actual and Preferred Forms. Teachers’ attitudes were assessed with the Test of Administrator-Related Attitudes (TOARA) which was based on the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA) (Fraser, 1981). Statistically significant differences were found between the teachers’ perceptions of actual and preferred administrator interpersonal behaviours. It was found that administrator interpersonal behaviour was high on factors such as Leadership, Helping/Friendly, Understanding and Teacher Responsibility/Freedom behaviour, while factors such as Uncertain, Dissatisfied, Admonishing, and Strict behaviours were far less prominent. Significant differences were found between teachers’ perceptions of actual and preferred administrator interpersonal behaviours, and a typology comparison of teachers’ perceptions of Thai administrators could be classified as Authoritative in both the actual and preferred administrators’ interpersonal behaviours. Associations between teachers’ perceptions of their administrators’ interpersonal behaviour with their attitudes to their school administration were found. The multiple correlations were significant for the Actual Form of the QAI and the TOARA, 39% of the variance in teacher’s attitude to their schools was attributable to their perceptions. Based on the findings, suggestions for determining and effecting the school administrations by school’s administrator interpersonal behaviour for improving sustainable educational development in school’s administration in Thailand with teachers’ perceptions are provided.

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