Unlocking Leadership in Young Children: Insights from Teachers, Parents, and Administrators

Leadership is crucial for success and should be nurtured from an early age. As society rapidly evolves, traditional notions of leadership must adapt to remain relevant. This study aims to identify and prioritize leadership characteristics and skills that parents and teachers consider most in need of development and to investigate approaches for promoting leadership in early childhood through the perspectives of teachers, parents, and administrators. The research included 440 participants—teachers, parents, and administrators from kindergartens under the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) in Bangkok—using stratified random sampling. The perceived needs data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and the Modified Priority Needs Index. Single survey questions were assessed through frequency, percentages, averages, and standard deviation. Findings show that both parents and teachers consider communication the most important skill to develop. However, parents prioritize responsibility but often overlook collaboration, while teachers emphasize decision-making and underemphasize responsibility. Parents most frequently develop leadership by praising desirable behavior but least frequently involve children in planning activities to achieve goals. Teachers use positive communication strategies but least frequently encourage children to resolve conflicts independently or assess their own and peers' learning. Administrators focus on creating learning experiences and fostering a school environment that promotes leadership in children, but least frequently reward teachers who excel in this area or encourage collaboration with parents and external organizations. These insights can guide the development of targeted activities and help create tailored leadership strategies that align with the needs and priorities of each group to foster leadership in young children.