Digital leadership in education: a review of the last 50 years
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1344/RIDU2025.17.2Keywords:
Digital Leadership, Technology, Education, Professional DevelopmentAbstract
Educational leadership and technological adoption have been topics of growing interest, reflecting a trend toward the integration of advanced technologies in the educational field. According to UNESCO (2021), 70% of school principals in developed countries consider training in technological leadership essential to improving educational quality. In Latin America, only 35% of schools have training programs in technological leadership, although countries like Chile and Uruguay are at the forefront. This research aims to analyze the influence of digital leadership on the adoption of new educational technologies in schools. The specific objectives of the research are: to understand the current state of articles related to digital leadership, to identify the challenges and opportunities that digital technology presents in the educational field, and to evaluate the relationship between digital leadership practices and the rate of adoption of new educational technologies in schools. The findings indicate that training in technological leadership is crucial to improving educational quality, and schools with leaders who promote technological adoption are 30% more likely to improve their academic results. In Spain, participation in digital literacy programs has increased significantly, and the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, is on the rise. The relationship between digital leadership and academic outcomes is evident, and greater investment in professional development programs and the promotion of a culture of technological innovation can significantly increase the chances of successful implementation of new digital tools.
References
Arar, K., y Nasra, M. A. (2020). Linking school-based management and school effectiveness: The influence of self-based management, motivation and effectiveness in the Arab education system in Israel. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 48(1), 186-204. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218775428.
Azoulay, A. (2024). Declaración sobre la educación y la tecnología. En UNESCO, Informe de seguimiento de la educación en el mundo, 2023: tecnología en la educación: ¿una herramienta en los términos de quién? París, UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54676/NEDS2300
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID). (2020). La educación superior en tiempos de COVID-19. Aportes de la segunda reunión del diálogo virtual con rectores de universidades líderes de América Latina. http://doi.org/10.18235/0002481
Banoğlu, K., Vanderlinde, R., Çetin, M., y Aesaert, K. (2023). Role of school principals’ technology leadership practices in building a learning organization culture in public K-12 schools. Journal of School Leadership, 33(1), 66-91. https://doi.org/10.1177/10526846221134010
Bellibaş, M. Ş., Polatcan, M., y Kılınç, A. Ç. (2022). Linking instructional leadership to teacher practices: The mediating effect of shared practice and agency in learning effectiveness. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 50(5), 812-831. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220945706
Berkovich, I. (2017). Educational reform hyperwaves: Reconceptualizing Cuban’s theories of change. Journal of Educational Change, 18(4), 413-438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-017-9304-1
Berkovich, I., y Hassan, T. (2024). Principals’ digital instructional leadership during the pandemic: Impact on teachers’ intrinsic motivation and students’ learning. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 52(4), 934-954. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221113411
Blau, I., y Presser, O. (2013). e-Leadership of school principals: Increasing school effectiveness by a school data management system. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(6), 1000-1011. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12088
Boyce, J., y Bowers, A. J. (2016). Principal turnover: Are there different types of principals who move from or leave their schools? A latent class analysis of the 2007-2008 schools and staffing survey and the 2008-2009 principal follow-up survey. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 15(3), 237-272. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2015.1047033
Burton, J. P., Holtom, B. C., Sablynski, C. J., Mitchell, T. R., y Lee, T. W. (2010). The buffering effects of job embeddedness on negative shocks. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76(1), 42-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2009.06.006
Bush, T. (2007). Educational leadership and management: theory, policy, and practice. South African Journal of Education, 27(3), 391-406.
Chang, I. -H. (2012). The effect of principals' technological leadership on teachers' technological literacy and teaching effectiveness in Taiwanese elementary schools. Educational Technology & Society, 15(2), 328-340.
Comisión Europea. (2022). Digital education action plan (2021-2027). Recuperado de European Commission.
Davies, B. J., y Davies, B. (2006). Developing a model for strategic leadership in schools. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 34(1), 121-139. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143206059542
Esplin, N. L., Stewart, C., y Thurston, T. N. (2018). Technology leadership perceptions of Utah elementary school principals. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 50(4), 305-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2018.1487351
Farley-Ripple, E. N., Raffel, J. A., y Welch, J. C. (2012). Administrator career paths and decision processes. Journal of Educational Administration, 50(6), 788-816. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231211264694
Gumus, S., Bellibas, M. S., Esen, M., y Gumus, E. (2018). A systematic review of studies on leadership models in educational research from 1980 to 2014. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 46(1), 25-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216659296
Hallinger, P. (2011). Leadership for learning: lessons from 40 years of empirical research. Journal of Educational Administration, 49(2), 125-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231111116699
Hallinger, P., y Murphy, J. (1985). Assessing the instructional management behavior of principals. The Elementary School Journal, 86(2), 217-247. https://doi.org/10.1086/461445
Hallinger, P., Wang, W. -C., y Chen, C. -W. (2013). Assessing the measurement properties of the principal instructional management rating scale: A meta-analysis of reliability studies. Educational Administration Quarterly, 49(2), 272-309. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X12468149
Harris, A., y Jones, M. (2022). Leading during a pandemic – what the evidence tells us. School Leadership & Management, 42(2), 105-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2022.2064626
Schiller, J. (2003). Working with ICT perceptions of Australian principals. Journal of Educational Administration, 41(2), 171-185. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230310464675
Kwan, P. (2020). Is transformational leadership theory Passé? Revisiting the integrative effect of instructional leadership and transformational leadership on student outcomes. Educational Administration Quarterly, 56(2), 321-349. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19861137
Leithwood, K., Jantz, D., and Steinbach, R. (1999). Changing leadership for changing times. International Journal of Educational Management, 13(6), 301-302. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijem.1999.13.6.301.4
Liu, S., y Hallinger, P. (2024). The effect of department leadership on teacher professional learning in China: A multilevel moderated mediation model. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432241232541
Marks, H. M., y Printy, S. M. (2003). Principal leadership and school performance: An integration of transformational and instructional leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(3), 370-397. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X03253412
McLeod, S. (2015). Facilitating administrators’ instructional leadership through the use of a technology integration discussion protocol. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 10(3), 227-233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942775115623393
Meindl, J. R. (1995). The romance of leadership as a follower-centric theory: A social constructionist approach. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(3), 329-341. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90012-8
Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional (MEFP). (2021). Informe anual sobre el estado de la educación en España. Recuperado de MEFP.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2020). Digest of Education Statistics, 2020. Recuperado de NCES.
Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). (2021). Education at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1787/b35a14e5-en
Pizarro, E., Villa, A., y Díez, F. (2024). Perceptions of good practice in school leadership: a comparative analysis between school principals and teachers. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, 22(1), 4051-4064. https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.1.00296
Pollock, K. (2020). School leaders’ work during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-pronged approach. International Studies in Educational Administration, 48(3), 38-44.
Richardson, J. W., y Sterrett, W. L. (2018). District technology leadership then and now: a comparative study of district technology leadership from 2001 to 2014. Educational Administration Quarterly, 54(4), 589-616. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X18769046
Sorenson, R. D., y Goldsmith, L. M. (2017). The principal's guide to school budgeting (3rd ed.). Corwin Press.
Supovitz, J., Sirinides, P., y May, H. (2010). How principals and peers influence teaching and learning. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46(1), 31-56. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670509353043
UNESCO. (2021). Informe de seguimiento de la educación en el mundo, 2020: Inclusión y educación: todos y todas sin excepción. https://doi.org/10.54676/WWUU8391
UNESCO. (2024). Informe de seguimiento de la educación en el mundo, 2023: tecnología en la educación: ¿una herramienta en los términos de quién? https://doi.org/10.54676/NEDS2300
Urick, A., y Bowers, A. J. (2014). What are the different types of principals across the United States? A latent class analysis of principal perception of leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50(1), 96-134. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X13489019
Villa, A. (2020). Aprendizaje basado en competencias: desarrollo e implantación en el ámbito universitario. REDU: Revista de docencia universitaria, 18(1), 19-46. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2020.13015
Villa, A. (2024). 13 perspectivas de liderazgo. Dykinson.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Aurelio Villa Sánchez, Evelyn Pizarro Fuentes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors whishing to publish in this journal agree to the following conditions:
- The author or author retain copyright and grants the journal the right of first publication of the paper.
- The texts will be published under license "Reconocimiento Creative Commons 4.0 España", which allows to share, distribute, reproduce and the public communication of the paper, as long as the name of the author or authors and the journal are clearly stated.