Approaches to the Exercise of Administrative Empowerment by School Administrators to Enhance Teachers’ Morale and Motivation in Educational Network 6 Under the Surin Secondary Educational Service Area Office

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) the level of administrative power exercised by school administrators 2) propose approaches to the exercise of administrative power to enhance teachers’ morale and motivation in Educational Network 6 under the Surin Secondary Educational Service Area Office. The sample consisted of 186 teachers. The research instruments included a five-point rating scale questionnaire with item validity ranging from 0.67 to 1.00 and an overall reliability coefficient of 0.95, as well as a structured interview form. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and were further interpreted through descriptive analysis. The findings revealed that the overall level of administrative power used by school administrators to enhance teachers’ morale and motivation was at a high level. When ranked from highest to lowest mean scores, the dimensions were referent power, legitimate power, reward power, expert power, and coercive power, respectively, with coercive power showing the lowest mean score. The proposed development approaches emphasized building trust, positive attitudes, and ethical conduct through referent power; ensuring strict adherence to laws and regulations within authorized responsibilities through legitimate power; providing consistent recognition and encouragement through reward power; enhancing professional expertise, academic leadership, and the use of modern technology through expert power; and promoting fairness and role modeling in rule compliance through coercive power.