CAUSAL MODEL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS’ DIGITAL LEADERSHIP AFFECTING SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION EFFECTIVENESS UNDER THE BANGKOK METROPOLITAN ADMINISTRATION TOWARD THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) develop a model and identify the components of digital leadership among school administrators in schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and 2) examine the consistency of the developed model with empirical data and investigate the causal effects of digital leadership components on school administrative effectiveness. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, nine experts were purposively selected as key informants, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. In the quantitative phase, the sample consisted of 600 school administrators and teachers from 300 schools. The research instruments included a semi-structured interview form, a component suitability assessment form, and a five-point rating-scale questionnaire. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that: 1) the digital leadership model comprised six components: digital vision and strategy; data- and technology-driven management; teacher development and a digital learning culture; digital resource allocation and infrastructure; digital governance, ethics, and security; and equity in digital access. School administrative effectiveness in achieving the SDGs comprised four components: educational quality and student learning outcomes; equity and access to educational opportunities; governance and transparency in administration; and sustainability in management and resource utilization; and 2) The developed model demonstrated a good fit with the empirical data. All six digital leadership components had positive effects on school administrative effectiveness. Teacher development and a digital learning culture exerted the strongest effect, followed by digital vision and strategy, and digital governance, ethics, and security. The model accounted for 72.00 percent of the variance in school administrative effectiveness.