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.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Albirini, A. (2006). Teachers’ attitudes toward information and communication technologies: The case of Syrian EFL teachers. Computers & Education, 47(4), 373–398.
Aten, B. M. (1996). An analysis of the nature of educational technology leadership. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of San Francisco.
Chang, I. (2003). The new leadership trend: Technology leadership. Journal of Education Research, 114, 83–95.
Cory, S. (1990). Can your district become an instructional technology leader? The School Administrator, Special Issue, pp. 17–19.
Creighton, T. B. (2003). The principal as technology leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., & Warshaw, P. R. (1989). User acceptance of computer technology: A comparison of two theoretical models. Management Science, 35(8), 982–1003.
Ford, J. I. (2000). Identifying technology leadership competencies for Nebraska’s K-12 technology leaders. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Nebraska, USA.
Hughes, M., & Zachariah, S. (2001). An investigation into the relationship between effective administrative leadership styles and the use of technology. http://www.ucalgary/vol5/.html.
Inkster, C. D. (1998). Technology leadership in elementary school principals: A comparative case study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota, USA.
Jewell, M. J. (1998). The art and craft of technology leadership. Learning and Leading with Technology, 26(4), 46–47.
Kearsley, G., & Lynch, W. (1994). Educational Leadership in the Age of Technology: The New Skills. In G. Kearsley & W. Lynch (Eds.), Educational Technology Leadership Perspectives. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications. 5–17.
Polizzi, G. (2009). Introducing media education into school teaching. An empirical research among public school teachers in Palermo, Italy. In K. Müller, S. Roth, & M. Žák (Eds.), Social dimension of innovation (pp. 158–174). Prague: Centre for Economic Studies.
Ray, D. (1992). Educational technology leadership for the age of restructuring. The Computing Teacher, 19(6), 8–14.
Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations (4th ed.). New York: The Free Press.
Schiller J. (2002). Interventions by School Leaders in Effective Implementation of Information Communication Technologies: Perceptions of Australian Principals. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 11(3), 289–301.
Schiller, J. (2003). Working with ICT perceptions of Australian principals. Journal of Educational Administration, 41(2), 171–185.
Tong K. P. & Trinidad S. G. (2005). Conditions and Constraints of Sustainable Innovative Pedagogical Practices Using Technology. IEJLL: International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning, 9(3). 1–24.
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology. Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478.
Wilmore, D., & Betz, M. (2000). Information technology and schools: The principal’s role. Educational Technology and Society. http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol_4_2000/v_4_2000.html 105
Yee, D. (2000). Technology leadership. Journal of Education Research, 112, 151–152.
Yuen, A. H. K., Law, N., & Wong, K. C. (2003). ICT implementation and school leadership: Case studies of ICT integration in teaching and learning. Journal of Educational Administration, 41(2), 158–170.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer India
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Thekedam, J. (2014). Leadership and Effective Integration of Information and Communication Technology for the Age of Restructuring. In: Nandakumar, M., Jharkharia, S., Nair, A. (eds) Organisational Flexibility and Competitiveness. Flexible Systems Management. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1668-1_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1668-1_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New Delhi
Print ISBN: 978-81-322-1667-4
Online ISBN: 978-81-322-1668-1
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)