Characteristics of Educational Institution Administrators in the 21st Century under the Jurisdiction of the Chonburi Primary Educational Service Office Area 3

Background and Aims: In the 21st century, rapid technological advancements and innovations have significantly impacted educational institutions, compelling them to adapt and transform to remain relevant. Educational leaders must embrace organizational reforms and personal development to successfully navigate these changes and achieve their objectives. This research aims to: 1) assess the characteristics of educational administrators in the 21st century under the Sakon Nakhon Secondary Educational Service Area Office, 2) compare these characteristics based on position, educational level, and institution size, and 3) propose development guidelines for enhancing the leadership qualities of these administrators within the same context. Methodology: The sample group for this research comprised 331 school administrators and teachers, with the sample size determined using Krejci and Morgan's table and randomly assigned to groups. The research instrument was a questionnaire based on a 5-level rating scale, with a consistency index ranging from 0.80 to 1.00 and an overall reliability score of 0.89. Statistical methods employed for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and both T-value and F-value tests to assess the data. Results: The research findings revealed that: (1) The overall characteristics of educational institution administrators in the 21st century under the Sakon Nakhon Secondary Educational Service Area Office, as well as each specific aspect, were rated at a high level. (2) When comparing opinions on the characteristics of these administrators by position, educational level, and institution size, significant differences were found across all aspects at the .05 statistical level. (3) Guidelines for enhancing the characteristics of 21st-century school administrators under this office included 10 key areas: 1) honesty and integrity, 2) trustworthiness and empowerment, 3) communication, collaboration, and connectivity, 4) positive energy, 5) confidence, 6) determination and perseverance, 7) willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn, 8) creative and innovative entrepreneurship, 9) reliance on intuition, and 10) the ability to inspire through intelligence.