Cakrawala Pendidikan
Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan
Vol. 44 No. 2, June 2025, pp.346-357
https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/cp/issue/view/2904
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v44i2.78814

Innovative leadership of secondary school administrators:
A case study of pilot schools of education sandbox
Ekkarin Sungtong, Anupap Thupaang*, Attapon Ponlawat
Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
*Corresponding Author: athupaang@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The objectives of this research were to (1) study the innovative leadership of secondary school
administrators and (2) examine the challenges in developing innovations within the pilot schools of the
education sandbox in Krabi, Thailand. The key informants included six school administrators and six
teachers responsible for innovation tasks, totalling 12 participants selected through purposive sampling. A
semi-structured interview protocol was used, and data were analyzed using thematic network analysis, with
trustworthiness established through rapport building with participants. The findings indicate that the
innovative leadership of secondary school administrators in Krabi encompasses four main aspects: (1)
Vision for change, which entails establishing a clear direction for innovation; (2) Innovative organization
atmosphere, which centers on creating a supportive environment for innovation; (3) Utilizing information
and communication technology, which underscores the use of modern tools to enhance communication; and
(4) Fostering collaboration, which involves promoting teamwork and partnerships. The challenges in
developing innovations include issues related to (1) personnel, such as communication problems,
misunderstandings among staff, and frequent turnover; (2) students, including economic status, incomplete
family situations, and academic achievement; (3) budget, with insufficient funds; and (4) community,
involving community values and support.
Keywords: innovative leadership, education sandbox, challenges in innovative development
Article history
Received:
1 September 2024

Revised:
19 February 2025

Accepted:
19 March 2025

Published:
22 June 2025

Citation (APA Style): Sungtong, E., Thupaang, A., & Ponlawat, A. (2025). Innovative leadership of
secondary school administrators: A case study of pilot schools of education sandbox. Cakrawala
Pendidikan:
Jurnal
Ilmiah
Pendidikan,
44(2),
pp.
346-357.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v44i2.78814

INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, advancements in technology and innovation have led to substantial
transformations across different sectors, impacting both the economy and society (Nakkubua et
al., 2022; Wolf, 2021). Therefore, several countries, including Thailand, must develop highquality human resources with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to respond to these changes
effectively. Particularly, education is essential for human resource development, as it helps to
build and enhance skills suitable for each age group (Office of the Education Council, 2017). The
National Education Plan 2017-2036 emphasizes creating a high-quality and efficient education
system to support the transition to the innovation era. It aims to promote creativity, innovation,
and analytical thinking skills to enhance the capabilities of Thai people and create a society of
learning and innovation as well. This approach aligns with the trend of encouraging organizations
to become innovative driven. The innovative leadership of administrators is crucial in driving
organizations forward (Alammar, 2015; Sutiyatno et al., 2022). School administrators play a key
role in setting policies, strategies, and innovations, using their innovative leadership to guide
educational institutions towards innovation-driven organizations.
Generally, innovative leadership relates to the ability to drive significant impact by
enhancing the system’s innovation capacity and overall effectiveness, leveraging expertise to

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foster innovation across various challenges (Banerjee et al., 2016). Moreover, innovative
leadership is also a holistic approach that combines visionary thinking with practical application,
fostering a culture of continuous improvement and inclusivity where every team member is
encouraged to contribute ideas and take risks, ultimately driving sustained organizational growth
and success (Campbell, 2024). Meanwhile, innovative leadership of school administrators refers
to behaviors that demonstrate the introduction of new ideas and methods in educational
management to improve quality and efficiency and involve motivating teachers and educational
personnel to participate in the innovation process and utilize new knowledge and skills for the
benefit of educational management (Nanthasri et al., 2020; Pothong et al., 2022). School
administrators with innovative leadership that corresponds to the current world can successfully
manage schools amidst rapidly changing situations (Bangkheaw & Karnjanapun, 2023; Khanthap,
2022; Mincu, 2022). It is especially crucial at the secondary education level, where the content is
more in-depth than the primary level, necessitating engaging learning innovations to attract
students’ interest. The components of innovative leadership may include five aspects: (1) vision
for change, (2) creative thinking, (3) collaboration building, (4) use of information and
communication technology, and (5) creating an innovative organizational atmosphere
(Lumlertwattana & Chatrupachewin, 2023; Yimraksa, 2022).
Due to the increasing importance of innovation, the Thai government launched a new
policy, called the education sandbox. The sandbox refers to the educational innovation areas and
originates from the Education Sandbox Act of 2019. The establishment of the Act is based on two
main concepts: (1) supporting the creation of innovations to solve problems and improve
efficiency through trial and error by practitioners in various areas, and (2) creating an environment
that facilitates experimentation for innovation (Office of the Council of State, 2019). The
education sandbox serves as a pilot area for educational operations to foster change and operates
with flexibility in certain regulations and criteria to enhance agility and support the development
of educational innovations, and specific boundaries are set for testing educational innovations
(Pasuro et al., 2021). In 2022, 19 provinces across all regions of the country have been designated
as education sandbox areas (Prime Minister’s Office Announcement on the Designation of
Innovation Areas, 2022, 20 December).
The Krabi province is one of the provinces established as an education sandbox area in
2023 according to the announcement of the Ministry of Education. This initiative aims to create
a new model of educational management at the local level, fostering the development and
innovation of education and learning to enhance academic achievement. This effort is intended to
reduce educational inequality, decentralize power, and grant autonomy to educational institutions,
thereby increasing management flexibility and improving education quality. The Steering
Committee for the Krabi Education Sandbox has announced the pilot schools for the first phase
of the fiscal year 2023. There are 27 schools, divided into 21 primary and 6 secondary schools,
which are under the responsibilities of the Ministry of Education, local administrative
organizations and the private sector.
Despite efforts to push the policy of Education Sandbox to create educational change, there
are still several problems and obstacles in implementing the policy. For instance, educators and
administrators often resist new methods and technologies due to comfort with traditional practices
or fear of the unknown (Serdyukov, 2017). These, moreover, include the understanding of the
policy by school administrators and teachers, the competence and readiness of school personnel,
the increased workload of teachers, and the integration with the educational quality assurance
system (Inbua & Suksom, 2022). Thus, school administrators, who are key leaders in driving this
policy, need to have appropriate innovative leadership to establish visions, create an atmosphere
and culture conducive to innovation, and face various challenges in developing innovations. To
ensure leadership effectiveness, it is essential to have an innovative leadership skill set as the
foundation. It is suggested that this skill set, which is more specific than typical leadership
characteristics, is crucial for all educational administrators nowadays (Marron & Cunniff, 2014).
The Education Sandbox Act of 2019 is set to remain in effect for a period of six years. During
this time, feedback and relevant research studies on its implementation will be collected to
determine whether the Act should be extended or discontinued. Although some studies have
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examined the implementation of the Act (Limsuwannarot et al., 2024; Wannapairo, & Palachai,
2023), there is limited published data specifically addressing the innovative leadership of school
administrators within sandbox schools.
For these reasons, the main objectives of this study were to (1) study the innovative
leadership of secondary school administrators and (2) examine the challenges in developing
innovations within the pilot schools of the Krabi education sandbox in Thailand. The findings
could benefit the development of educational innovation and the professional growth of school
administrators, as well as inform policy decisions effectively.
METHOD
A qualitative methodology is employed in this study and a case study approach is adopted.
Due to, it seeks in-depth empirical knowledge and truth about phenomena or social units such as
individuals, groups, institutions, or communities, and concentrates on a specific phenomenon,
individual, or multiple events occurring within a specific area at a particular time
(Cheawjindakarn, 2018; Podhisita, 2009).
The key participants for this study are six school administrators and six teachers responsible
for the education sandbox in these pilot schools, 12 participants in total. This research project was
approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Prince of Songkla University, approval
number PSU.PN.2-038/67.
The purposive sampling was operated to select key participants with expertise and
experience relevant to the research objectives, ensuring high-quality information (Bryman, 2008;
Worakam, 2012). In case study research, there are no fixed numbers of key participants. The
researcher can determine the number based on the depth and scope of the study. Yin (2014) states
that the number of key participants in a case study can be adjusted according to the diversity of
information and the scope of the study. Researchers should prioritize the depth and completeness
of information over a particular number, which can range from 4-6 individuals, with some
literature recommending 12-15 key participants (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005; Guest et al., 2006).
The research apparatuses include a semi-structured interview protocol, which is an openended interview format that emphasizes in-depth interviews with key participants. It consists of
two parts: (1) preliminary information about the key participants and (2) information about the
innovative leadership of administrators in pilot schools within the Krabi education sandbox. The
researchers are also considered the key participants in this process. According to Podhisita (2009)
and Pezalla et al. (2012), the researcher plays a crucial role in the research process as they directly
interact with events or situations during data collection, data analysis, and the explanation or
conclusion of the research.
The interviews took approximately 1.5-2 hours, which is considered an appropriate
duration for qualitative research interviews (Seidman, 1998). The researcher chose to conduct
face-to-face interviews with key participants at their educational institutions. In terms of the
trustworthiness of the research, credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability are
used to evaluate the research. Bryman (2008), for example, explains that credibility ensures the
truth of the findings through techniques like triangulation and prolonged engagement;
dependability involves the stability of data over time, maintained through detailed documentation;
confirmability ensures findings are shaped by respondents, not researcher bias, using reflexivity;
and transferability assesses the applicability of findings to other contexts, enhanced by providing
detailed descriptions of the research setting and participants.
The study uses thematic network analysis to analyze the data, a technique that examines
the connections between themes emerging from the qualitative data collected. This can be
presented as a network (Attride-Stirling, 2001). Furthermore, the MAXQDA program was used
to assist in data analysis.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Based on the literature reviews, data collection, and data analysis, the findings and
discussion on the innovative leadership of school administrators and the challenges of innovation
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development in pilot schools of the Krabi education sandbox can be presented according to the
following research objectives.
Findings
Research objective 1: Innovative leadership of secondary school administrators in pilot schools
within the Krabi education sandbox
The findings show that the innovative leadership of secondary school administrators
consists of four aspects: (1) Vision for change, (2) Innovative organization’s climate, (3) Utilizing
information and communication technology (ICT), and (4) Fostering collaboration. The details of
each aspect are as follows in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Components of Innovative Leadership for School Administrators
Vision for change
The vision for change of school administrators demonstrates the direction and development
of schools that emphasize innovation as a basis for improving the quality of education. This study
found that the vision for change of school administrators includes the following: First, foresight
for innovation development. This involves promoting and encouraging teachers to invent and
develop new learning management innovations. As Director 2 stated, “I have implemented
policies and developed educational quality based on innovation, which is part of the strategic
plan.” This corresponds to Director 3, who emphasized the importance of developing innovations
in teachers’ learning management that impact students, stating, “In the future, teaching will also
focus on innovation. Any subject that can delve into innovation… will be emphasized. The
teaching style will be adjusted to focus on innovation.”
Second, vision setting aligned with the school context. For the vision setting, school
administrators have studied the context and needs of the community to adjust the curriculum and
educational management to align with the diverse social and cultural contexts. As Director 1
mentioned, “Ultimately, the school will be a leader in preserving culture, whether in performance
or language… it will be called multiculturalism… the ultimate goal is to be a center for
multiculturalism in language and cultural performance.”
Third, planning for change. School administrators also emphasize preparing for future
changes by integrating technology into daily life. They have planned to develop infrastructure
and use technological innovations in school management. As Director 3 stated, “Finally, we will
use technology innovations in overall management. In the future, the school will have a card
scanning system for entry and exit, creating a cashless society with electronic cards.”
Innovative organization’s climate
An innovative organization’s climate is a crucial factor contributing to the success of
educational institutions, especially in the current era where innovation is key to driving
organizations forward. The study found that school administrators have processes to create an
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innovative organization’s climate in their schools as follows: First, creating an environment
conducive to innovation. Establishing clear guidelines for developing the organization towards
becoming an innovative organization, school administrators play a significant role in creating an
environment conducive to innovation by providing a good physical environment and modern
facilities. As Teacher 3 mentioned the school administrator supported educational media and upto-date materials and equipment, “There are improvements, like installing air conditioners…
gradually improving things, or providing color printers. The principal pays attention and gives
full support.” This conforms to Teacher 6, who stated, “The Director additionally supports us for
improvement like if we need a TV, they provide it or lend it to us.” Besides the physical
environment, school administrators also emphasize creating an atmosphere conducive to
knowledge exchange among teachers. As Director 2 said, “We promote learning innovations for
everyone to be aware of and participate in driving in the same direction. We also promote an
environment and atmosphere leading to teachers’ knowledge exchange.”
Second, encouraging personnel to develop their potential. School administrators encourage
teachers and staff to develop their potential in both academic and technological aspects. As
Director 2 stated, “We support teachers in self-development, both academically and in using
modern technology.” Furthermore, school administrators give freedom for creative selfdevelopment through a non-interventionist management approach. As Director 4 mentioned, “We
primarily use a non-interventionist management approach… teachers are like managers,
managing their classrooms… they can choose, invent, and develop themselves as needed.”
Third, eeinforcement, motivation and rewards. Reinforcing and motivating personnel to
seek knowledge to develop innovations and produce quality work for the institution is another
crucial aspect of creating an innovative organization’s climate. School administrators use
principles of motivation, compliments, and rewards to inspire and encourage personnel. As
Director 3 explained, “We use principles of persuasion and motivation to generate positive
energy… then let them do their work, and we provide reinforcement.” Similarly, Director 4
applying the same principles in school management stated, “In terms of school management in
this school, we primarily use praise to empower teachers.” Director 6 also confirmed the
importance of reinforcement and giving rewards as encouragement on various occasions, stating,
“Regarding encouragement, during our monthly meetings, we give small gifts for teachers’
birthdays.”
Utilizing Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Emphasizing the use of modern ICT in school management and teaching is a crucial task
for school administrators in the current era. This study highlights the innovative leadership of
school administrators in using ICT in several aspects as follows: First, applying technology in
school management. School administrators have applied technology in school management in
both communication and several innovative management practices. As Director 1 stated, “We use
technology for communication, driving, and managing with technology, which is an innovation
we regularly use.” Similarly, Director 4 has applied technology in school management to simplify
and reduce the workload of staff, stating, “In our work, we must use modern tools and technology
to reduce the workload and make management more worthwhile.”
Second, promoting the use of technology in teaching. School administrators have
encouraged teachers to apply technology in the teaching process. Director 2 confirmed this by
saying, “There is encouragement for using technology in teaching.” Also, Director 5 added the
issue of technological innovations and computer networks supporting learning management,
stating, “In the teaching process, we must use innovations to help, whether technological
innovations or computer networks, to assist in teaching.”
Third, supporting modern media, materials, and technology. School administrators have
prioritized and provided modern media, materials, and technology to aid teachers in making
teaching more interesting and up-to-date, thereby stimulating students’ interest in lessons. As
Director 2 mentioned, “Televisions in every classroom help students and teachers manage
teaching more easily.” Similarly, Director 6 emphasized this point, stating, “We bought some

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projectors for teachers at first, then steadily increased them, and now almost every room has a
projector, making teaching more interesting.”
Fostering collaboration
Fostering collaboration is another crucial aspect of innovative leadership for school
administrators, leading to effective school development. This study indicates that school
administrators have fostered collaboration in several areas as follows: First, fostering Internal
Collaboration of the School: School administrators prioritize creating mutual understanding and
awareness before operating by organizing briefing meetings to align the direction and goals
among school staff. As Teacher 6 stated, “First, the Director ensures everyone is on the same
page, then holds meetings to explain to teachers, allowing them to make joint decisions.”
Similarly, Director 1 mentioned, “It’s a briefing meeting, and we proceed together… to move in
the same direction.” Teacher 4 also confirmed this issue, stating, “It promotes awareness and
participation to move in the same direction.” Additionally, school administrators encourage all
staff to participate in operations to foster teamwork and achieve common goals. As Director 3
said about the teachers, “The highlight here is that teachers work as a team and are ready to
change.”
Second, fostering external collaboration with related agencies. In terms of collaboration
with external agencies, administrators prioritize mobilizing resources and cooperation from
various organizations, including universities, private companies, and local government agencies.
As Director 6 stated, “We have some projects where we go outside to learn, go to universities by
making MOUs with them first.” Similarly, Teacher 1 mentioned external collaboration, “External
agencies, such as the Thai Environment Institute… work together to drive innovation in our area.”
Director 2 also discussed mobilizing resources from external agencies to develop the school,
stating, “External agencies help in school management, including supportive network schools and
mobilizing resources from parents… local administrative organizations, municipalities,
administrative officials, village headmen, local health centers, police stations… both in terms of
money and ensuring the safety of students.”
Third, stakeholder participation. School administrators have opened opportunities for all
relevant parties, including school boards, parents, communities, and students, to participate in
school activities and management, from vision setting to planning projects. As Director 2 stated,
“For the vision, we do a SWOT analysis, inviting the community and students. During SWOT,
everyone thinks together, and we consolidate it into a vision.” Teacher 3 similarly mentioned,
“All stakeholders participate in setting the vision for school development, whether it’s teachers,
community groups, parents, and the school board.” This also includes giving feedback on school
regulations, where stakeholders reflect together. As Director 6 mentioned, “For example, school
regulations… the school board, students, parents, teacher representatives, and community leaders
come together to give feedback on school agreements.” Teacher 1 added, “In management, we
involve network partners, including the community, community leaders, and parents, to reflect
together.”
Research objective 2: Challenges in innovation development for secondary school
administrators in pilot schools in the Krabi education sandbox
The findings revealed that the challenges in innovation development for secondary school
administrators in pilot schools in the Krabi education sandbox consist of four aspects: (1)
personnel, (2) students, (3) budget, and 4) community. The details of each aspect are as follows.
Personnel
The challenges in the personnel aspect for school administrators in innovation development
are divided into two main points: First, communication and understanding discrepancies among
personnel both inside and outside the organization. Creating understanding among school
personnel is considered a significant challenge for school administrators, because sometimes
personnel may disagree or not understand the reasons and importance of the implemented
innovations. As Teacher 2 mentioned, “When we joined the education sandbox, there were people
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who understood and agreed, and those who didn’t… It’s like having additional work… All
teachers graduated aiming to teach children, not to do paperwork.” Similarly, Teacher 3 stated,
“It might be because the understanding wasn’t fully conveyed. The intention of the policy had
some impact… I’ve heard that when changes were made, there was pressure and impact.”
Second frequent personnel rotation. The study also found that frequent personnel rotation
is a significant problem for school administrators in developing innovations. Both administrators
and teachers mentioned that frequent personnel rotation is a major challenge in organizational
development. Director 1 highlighted this issue, stating, “Because our school is on an island…
Most experienced personnel, like teachers, are not considered to transfer here… Most of those
who come are newly appointed teachers who need to be trained… Once they are fully developed,
they transfer out.” Frequent personnel rotation, especially among newly appointed teachers, leads
to a lack of continuity in work. As Teacher 1 mentioned, “Sometimes, those teachers responsible
for particular projects stay for about 2-3 years and then transfer. The connection during that period
might be disrupted, leading to a lack of coordination and continuity in work.”
Students
Students are the core of education management, as they are a key factor in the learning
process and innovation development. The study indicated that school administrators face three
main challenges in the student aspect: First, economic status of students’ families. Some students
come from economically disadvantaged or poor families, requiring them to help their families by
working or earning extra income, which sometimes affects their attendance and academic
performance. As Director 1 mentioned, “Some students need extra income, such as the final year
students. Sometimes they come to school late or not at all because they have to work.” This
economic hardship limits the school to collect extra fees for extracurricular activities. As Director
6 stated, “There are no additional activities because we can collect very little money from them.
Some students can’t afford to pay much.”
Second, incomplete family status of students. The study found that almost half of the
students have divorced parents. As Teacher 6 mentioned, “Most students here, nearly half, have
divorced parents.” Teacher 4 also stated, “Many families of students attending this school
somewhat have problems, such as economic issues, divorced parents, or other issues.”
Third, academic achievement. This may result from the two challenges mentioned above.
School administrators and teachers consider academic performance a significant challenge in
developing school innovations. As Teacher 6 mentioned, “From the teacher's perspective that the
Director indicated, the students' achievements may still be low, which affects the development of
the school. It's considered a challenge.” Similarly, Teacher 2 explained, “The academic
performance of students has fluctuated… If we compare it with the school’s performance in
previous years.”
Budget
The budget challenge is crucial in successfully driving educational innovation for school
administrators. According to this study, school administrators face challenges related to budget
management. For instance, Director 4 directly identified, “One problem is the budget.”
Additionally, Teacher 3 emphasized the necessity of using funds for educational development,
stating, “According to the sandbox policy, we need to allocate a significant amount of funds. It’s
all about the budget.”
Community
Community is another important challenge that school administrators should pay enough
attention to. Because the schools heavily rely on community cooperation and support. This study
also revealed that school administrators encounter challenges related to community values. The
school is in a community that is part of a multicultural society. For example, parents initially send
their children to religious schools for their junior high school education before returning them to
state schools for their senior high school later years. As Teacher 2 explained, “In this community,
parents prioritize religious schools…students attend there for the first three years…then gradually
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return to regular schools.” These community values affect the achievement of enrollment targets,
as Director 2 pointed out: “Parents emphasize the religious school…resulting in the numbers of
new students not meeting the goals.”
Discussion
Research objective 1: Innovative leadership of secondary school administrators in pilot schools
within the Krabi education sandbox
From the findings, innovative leadership of school administrators consists of four
dimensions: (1) vision for change, (2) innovative organization’s climate, (3) utilizing information
and communications technology (ICT), and (4) fostering collaboration. These can be discussed
as follows.
Vision for change
The research findings indicate that having a vision for change for school administrators
comprises three key aspects: (1) foresight for innovation development, (2) vision setting aligned
with the school context, and (3) planning for change. These dimensions correspond to the work
of Yimraksa (2022), who emphasized that innovative leaders should have a modern vision and
can also analyze educational trends and align their vision with the school context. Moreover, Şen
and Eren (2012) highlighted that innovative leaders must have competitive advantage strategies
by analyzing internal and external factors, assessing the innovation-friendly environment, and
foreseeing future development in alignment with change.
Innovative organization’s climate
The study reveals that fostering an innovative organization’s climate within schools
promotes creativity. School administrators can achieve this by creating an organization’s climate
conducive to innovation development and encouraging personnel to continuously develop
themselves according to their potential and interests. This includes rewarding and motivating
personnel with outstanding innovative achievements to stimulate a continuous and sustainable
innovation process. This approach is consistent with the work of Bangkheaw and Karnjanapun
(2023), Starkey (2023), and Thummatasanano and Leesin (2021), who emphasize the importance
of creating an innovative organization’s climate. They believe that it is a crucial factor in fostering
creativity and development within the organization, leading to the creation of new things with
modern technology, and building trust among staff to participate in the work. Additionally,
Kunthin et al. (2017) suggest that school administrators should encourage and support teachers
and staff to fully develop their potential and provide opportunities for teachers to create their
work, leading to the creation of innovative learning. Recognizing and praising teachers who
achieve success in their work is also pivotal for boosting morale and motivation.
Utilizing ICT
The study shows that school administrators have effectively integrated technology into
educational management and have promoted technology use in teaching and learning.
Furthermore, administrators provide support through media, materials, and up-to-date technology
to make learning more engaging and relevant. This finding conforms to Dexter (2023), Müller
and Wulf (2020), who emphasized that integrating technology in educational management
enhances the efficiency of administrators and staff. Similarly, Boutelier and Ludwig (2021)
highlighted that using technology in teaching and learning stimulates student interest and provides
access to diverse learning resources.
Fostering collaboration
The findings indicate that collaboration is a crucial factor for school administrators in
driving innovation and the success of educational institutions. School administrators engage in
several collaborative efforts, including (1) creating an environment that fosters cooperation and
collaboration within the school, (2) building partnerships with external organizations, including
government agencies, private entities, and the local community, to pool resources, exchange
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knowledge, and foster innovation, (3) collaborating with stakeholders such as parents, students,
and the community to involve them in planning, policy-setting, and organizational improvement
effectively. These insights align with the work of Nanthasri et al. (2020), who emphasized that
school administrators should actively create a collaborative environment to translate their vision
into practical actions. By fostering collaboration among members of the educational institution,
positive changes can occur more effectively. Furthermore, Ariratana et al. (2019) underscored the
importance of collaboration within organizations, emphasizing that innovative educational
leaders should possess abilities related to creative and critical thinking, building innovative
organizational culture, and creating effective teamwork.
Research objective 2: Challenges in developing innovations for secondary school
administrators in pilot schools in Krabi education sandbox
The findings show that the challenges faced by school administrators in innovation
development in the pilot schools in Krabi education sandbox can be categorized into four
dimensions: (1) personnel, (2) students, (3) budget, and (4) community, and discussed in more
detail as follows.
Personnel
The findings indicate that a significant challenge in the area of personnel is communication
and understanding discrepancies among personnel inside and outside the school. Frequent staff
turnover is also a critical issue. Personnel are considered the most important resource for driving
the organization forward. A lack of communication and mutual understanding within and outside
the organization can lead to conflicts and unmet goals. Brinia et al. (2022) state that educational
institutions rely on effective communication as a crucial trait to achieve their objectives and goals.
They also indicate that effective communication not only helps reduce misunderstandings, but
also fosters a professional culture, enhances staff retention, and increases organizational
satisfaction. Meanwhile, frequent staff turnover has had other impacts, such as the loss of
experienced and skilled personnel, leading to a lack of continuity in work and the constant
expenditure of resources on recruiting and developing new staff. This is consistent with Meier
and Hicklin (2008), stating that high staff turnover is a significant issue affecting organizational
efficiency. Correspondingly, Srichomphu and Vungsiriphisal (2020) mention that limitations in
educational personnel and the lack of coordination with relevant agencies result in a lack of
systematic operational connectivity for the organization.
Students
The findings highlight the challenges that school administrators face in innovation
development regarding students. Key issues include the poor and difficult economic status of
students’ families, incomplete family structures, and students’ academic achievement. This aligns
with the research by Jariyarangsiroge and Seanyen (2021), which indicates that the economic
conditions of students and their impoverished families can lead to a lack of concentration and
motivation in learning. Additionally, it affects their ability to access modern technological tools,
which in turn impacts their academic achievement. Sirin (2005) also notes that the students’
economic and family conditions are related to their academic achievement. Furthermore, Jeynes
(2005) studied and concluded that family factors, such as marital status and parental involvement,
significantly affect students’ academic achievement.
Budget
The study indicates that insufficient budget allocation is a significant obstacle in driving
educational innovation. This limitation affects various aspects, including the procurement of
modern equipment and technology, as well as organizing activities to promote different
innovations. Drew (2010) mentions that budget allocation is a critical resource for supporting
innovation development within an organization, and it also remains a concern for administrators
in terms of funding, recruitment, and maintaining high-quality personnel. Moreover, effective
budget planning and management are essential for organizational development, especially in the
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context of innovation and educational technology adoption. Sincar (2013) similarly highlights the
challenges faced by educational institutions due to budget constraints, which impact both
innovation and technology application, leading to delays in operational processes.
Community
The finding reveals that community challenges are significant for school administrators in
innovation development. These challenges are related to the cultural values of diverse
communities within multicultural societies. Community values and norms can influence the
perception and acceptance of innovations. School administrators must learn to understand the
context of the community and use various communication methods to foster mutual awareness.
Mulford (2008) indicates that educational leaders need to know and understand community
contexts, including demographic changes, social diversity, civic engagement, and environmental
factors. These abilities contribute to organizational strength, promote cultural diversity, and align
educational institutions with community needs.
CONCLUSION
Even though schools in Krabi just participated in the education sandbox project in 2023,
the study indicates that the administrators significantly possessed essential innovative leadership
critical for successfully implementing the Education Sandbox Act. Notably, the Education
Sandbox Act set high expectations that participating schools can transform their positions and
bring positive outcomes; the administrators’ leadership in building a vision for change based on
school contexts, creating positive climates, utilizing good communications, and fostering
collaboration at different levels will pave a positive way to drive schools to meet the goals of the
policy. Since the school administrators are very new to implementing the Education Sandbox Act,
they may need help with personnel, students, (3) budget, and (4) community issues. These
challenges can reflect existing difficulties for other school administrators, educators, and
policymakers at different levels to address and recognize the school's capabilities in dealing with
such limitations. This research also indicates that implementing the Education Sandbox Policy in
schools with limited experience requires substantial support and assistance. Stakeholders at all
levels can utilize these findings to plan and review various practices, thereby enhancing the
readiness of other schools participating in the implementation of the Education Sandbox Act. This
approach aims to ensure a smooth operation in alignment with the Act's objectives.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research would not have been possible without the support of the Krabi Provincial
Education Office, which, as the supervisory authority, kindly facilitated and coordinated with
pilot schools within Krabi’s Education Sandbox Area. The researchers wish to extend sincere
gratitude for this invaluable assistance. Additionally, the researchers are deeply grateful to all
school administrators and teachers in the pilot schools within the innovation education sandbox
who generously dedicated their time to provide interview data contributing to this research.
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