A study of the technology leadership of Texas high school principals.

• Main Author: Seay, D. Alan
• Other Authors: Huffman, Jane B.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of North Texas 2004
• Subjects: technology; principals; administrator; computer; leadership; High school principals > Texas.; Educational technology > Texas.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4484/

Effectively integrating technology into school requires the presence of informed and visionary leadership. Past research on change in schools demonstrates the importance of the principal to that process. In that research it is obvious that the principal must possess more than skills and knowledge about the change, he or she must also possess leadership skills to lead the campus through the change. Despite this finding, very little research has been attempted to determine the leadership knowledge and skills of principals for technology integration. This study attempts to investigate the technology leadership of high school principals in Texas using the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS*A). In addition, this study compares technology leadership among principals who have attended the Technology Leadership Academy with those who have not attended this training. The two questions that guided this study are: (1) What are the technology leadership actions of Texas' high school principals in each of the six technology leadership standards identified by the NETS*A standard document? (2) How are the technology leadership practices of high school principals who participated in the Technology Leadership Academy sponsored by TASA and TBEC different from those who have not participated in the training? Because no existing survey measured technology leadership using the NETS*A, a 46-part survey document was created by the researcher. The survey contained multiple questions covering each of the six standards of the NETS*A and was administered online. Descriptive statistics were used to answer the first research question. A MANVOA, using the combined mean scores for questions covering each NETS*A standard as the dependent variable and the principal's participation in the Technology Leadership Academy as the independent variable, was run to provide answers to the second research question. The principals in this study scored highly in each of the six NETS*A standards. The lowest combined mean score dealt with a principal's leadership and vision for technology. Descriptive statistics showed principals exhibited the highest combined mean score in the area of support, maintenance, and operations. Furthermore, the MANOVA indicated little difference between principals who attended the Technology Leadership Academy and those who did not attend.