Leadership Behaviors in Educational Administration and Teachers Morale in Thai Primary Schools in Central Thailand

Purpose: Although leadership behaviors have been widely examined in relation to teacher outcomes, limited empirical research has explored how different leadership dimensions influence teachers’ morale within highly centralized educational systems such as Thailand’s primary education sector. Existing studies have often emphasized administrative control and procedural compliance, while comparatively less attention has been given to the role of relationship-oriented leadership behaviors in sustaining teachers’ morale within centralized administrative contexts. This study therefore examines the relationship between leadership behaviors within educational administration and teachers’ morale in Thai primary schools in central Thailand. Research design, data and methodology: This study employed a quantitative research design using a survey approach. Data were collected from 417 teachers and educational personnel working in primary schools across central Thailand through anonymous self-administered questionnaires. Leadership behaviors were categorized into task-oriented and relationship-oriented dimensions, while teachers’ morale was examined through Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were employed to examine the relationships between leadership behaviors and teachers’ morale. Results: The findings revealed that both task-oriented and relationship-oriented leadership behaviors were positively associated with teachers’ morale. Relationship-oriented leadership behaviors, particularly motivation and participation, demonstrated stronger predictive influence on teachers’ morale than task-oriented dimensions such as planning and supervision. The regression model explained a substantial proportion of variance in teachers’ morale, indicating that interpersonal and participatory leadership practices play an important role within centralized educational environments. Conclusions: The study contributes empirical evidence to educational administration research by demonstrating that leadership effectiveness within centralized educational systems may involve not only administrative coordination and policy implementation but also relationship-oriented leadership practices that support teachers’ professional well-being. The findings further suggest that balancing organizational structure with human-centered leadership may help sustain teachers’ morale within Thai primary schools.