Leadership and effective integration of information and communication technology for the age of restructuring

Abstract

For effective technology leadership and for a comprehensive and appropriate use of technology in educational institutions, the standards essential for the heads of the institutions are: leadership and vision; learning and teaching; productivity and professional practice; support, management, and operations; assessment and evaluation; understanding of social, legal, and ethical issues related to technology; and interpersonal and communication skills. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) leadership supports effective instructional practices through a combination of interpersonal skills, knowledge of a variety of current technology applications, and the vision to anticipate future technology-based solutions for education. The potential benefits of good ICT leadership can include improved academic achievement by students, improved student attendance and reduced attrition, better vocational preparation of students, more efficient administrative operations, and reduced teacher/staff burnout and turnover. The main objectives of this study are to investigate principals’ ICT leadership practices in their respective colleges and the methods and strategies principals use to lead technology integration into the educational environment. Qualitative as well as quantitative data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires that were administered to teachers and principals of professional colleges. This study reveals that technology integration as an instructional strategy needs to be learned in the wider context of changing pedagogy and paradigms of thought about technology use in education. Principals who effectively lead ICT integration within their colleges classically perform well in leadership and management, vision and goal setting, student learning, teaching, professional development and training, operations and infrastructure support, and assessment and evaluation.