A Study of Leadership Characteristics of Administrators in Integrated Islamic Schools in Bangkok

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) examine the leadership characteristics of administrators in Integrated Islamic Schools in Bangkok based on the MORAL Model, and 2) analyze and confirm the factor structure of these characteristics. The sample comprised 168 teachers from eight schools, selected via purposive sampling. The research instrument was a 53-item, five-point Likert scale questionnaire, demonstrating high content validity (mean IOC = 0.94) and internal consistency (α = 0.95). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The findings revealed that: 1) overall leadership characteristics were perceived at a high level (M = 4.45, SD = 0.66). “Managing Self” yielded the highest mean (4.52), followed by “Relating with People” (4.48), “Acquiring Knowledge” (4.45), “Organizational Development” (4.43), and “Leading and Managing” (4.40). 2) EFA confirmed a five-factor structure consistent with the original MORAL Model, explaining 69.81% of the total variance. All five dimensions exhibited strong positive intercorrelations (r = 0.741–0.836), reflecting the holistic nature of leadership within urban Islamic education. These results validate the construct of the MORAL Model within an urban societal context and underscore that administrator development should prioritize self-management as a foundation for enhancing other leadership dimensions. Furthermore, these findings provide a strategic framework for the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) to design specialized training curricula for administrators of Integrated Islamic Schools.