Are headmasters digital leaders in school culture?

Abstract

This study investigates the metaphoric perceptions and digital roles of 60 headmasters working in primary and secondary schools. This study is significant as it reveals the awareness of headmasters with regard to digital leadership and thereby considers the adoption of communication technologies and digital management into school culture. Qualitative research was employed in the study to capture inductively the perceptions and roles of headmasters in the framework of a case study approach. Self-reports in three sections provided large amounts of data on how headmasters perceive digital leadership and its differences to traditional leadership. The volunteer participants revealed these differences using metaphors. Thematic analyses were used to examine the data. The results showed that the headmasters have awareness of both digital leadership and technological developments. However, there is no immediate practical implication regarding school culture and learning environments.