Enhancing Advisory Team Empowerment Mechanism to Propel Innovative Teacher Competencies in the Southern Border Education Sandbox

This research aims to investigate the development of teacher competencies in innovative learning management by implementing the INNOVATE TEAM model and the Valuable Advisory Team Empowerment (VATE) mechanism. The study was conducted in an Education Sandbox pilot school under a Local Administrative Organization in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand. Utilizing a Research and Development (R&D) methodology, the target group included 20 teachers from Prik Municipality School. The research instruments comprised the INNOVATE TEAM manual, a coaching skills curriculum, and an innovative competency assessment scale. Data analysis involved mean, standard deviation, and qualitative lesson-learned extraction. The findings revealed that: 1) Following the intervention, teachers' innovative learning management competencies were significantly driven to a higher level, with the mean score rising from 14.20 (Fair) to 26.20 (Excellent). 2) The VATE mechanism successfully transformed the advisory team into professional coaches, creating a safe space within Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and organizational support systems. This effectively drove teachers' "Inner Drive," shifting their mindset from anxiety to creative courage. 3) Teachers were empowered to produce tangible learning innovations, including multicultural digital media and active learning strategies that effectively addressed the specific needs of the local context. Keywords: Innovative Teacher Competency, Innovator, Education Sandbox, Southern Border Provinces DOI: 10.7176/JEP/17-3-03 Publication date: March 28th 2026