Challenges School Principals Facing in the Context of Technology Leadership.

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to determine the challenges school principals facing in the context of technology leadership. This is a qualitative case study guided by the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS*A). Six elementary school principals working in a large city in southeastern Turkey participated into the study. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews via a semi-structured interview protocol. The data collection tool was developed through pilot studies based on expert opinions. The data were analyzed through a thematic approach and validity and reliability were investigated via peer-review, member checking, and inter-coder reliability processes. The findings show that in assuming their roles as technology leaders school principals face various challenges, including bureaucracy, lack of resources, resistance to innovation, lack of in-service training, and poverty. Based on the findings, various measures are recommended to diminish bureaucratic obstacles and organize sustainable in-service training activities in order to overcome the challenges that school principals are facing in the context of technology leadership.Key WordsTechnology Leadership, Challenges in Technology Leadership, NETS*A.Technology leadership, an indication of managing all technology usage in schools, is an essential component of effective educational administration (Anderson & Dexter, 2005; Dawson & Rakes, 2003; Flanagan & Jacobsen, 2003; Geer, 2002; Hughes & Zachariah, 2001; Woelfel, Murray, & Hambright, 2004). School administrators with necessary skills of technology leadership are more likely to facilitate all stages of instruction and school management by effectively integrating educational technologies into school life (Anderson & Dexter, 2000). The level of technology leadership highly reflects the quality of leadership in school; as being good at technology leadership is associated with high quality school leadership. Technology leadership represents all activities about the technology in school, including organizational decisions, policies and implementation of technology within the boundaries of the school (Anderson & Dexter, 2005; Dexter, 2011; Fletcher, 2009). Research findings have shown that technology leadership positively influences leadership skills of school administrators (Dexter; Langran, 2006; McLeod & Richardson, 2011; Richardson & McLeod, 2011; Rutkowski, Rutkowski, & Sparks, 2011; Scott, 2005). The literature contains various suggestions about using technology in school administration (Anderson & Dexter, 2005; Keengwe, Kidd, & Kyei-Blankson, 2009; Leonard & Leonard, 2006; McLeod & Richardson, 2011; Reddish & Chan, 2007; Ritzhupt, Hohlfeld, Barron, & Kemker, 2008; Stuart, Mills, & Remus, 2009). Among those suggestions, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has provided a core list of standards, the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS*A) which has been the mostly acknowledged standards to open a way for effective technology leaderships (Brooks-Young, 2006; Creighton, 2003; Papa, 2011; Reddish & Chan). National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS*A)The ISTEs standards for technology leadership (NETS*A) were developed to help school leaders to "support digital age learning, implement technology, and transform the education landscape". The NETS*A were grouped under five main themes: visionary leadership, digital age learning culture, excellence in professional practice, systemic improvement and digital citizenship (ISTE, 2009). Moreover, the NETS*A reflects all efforts to move schools one step further and is a key factor in restructuring schools to cope with the demands of the ever-changing society (Benedetto, 2006; Mirra, 2004; Schrum, Galizio, & Ledesma, 2011; Valdez, 2004; Yu & Durrington, 2006). …