THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP IN DRIVING INNOVATION AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

Abstract

This study examines the role of educational technology leadership in driving innovation and institutional change within schools. As technology becomes increasingly integral to education, the need for strong leadership to integrate these tools effectively has never been greater. Technology leadership, particularly at the principal level, is crucial for fostering sustainable improvements in educational quality. This research involved 200 participants and employed a structured questionnaire, designed based on relevant literature and theoretical frameworks, to measure the impact of leadership on innovation and change. The questionnaire, featuring a Likert scale, was pilot-tested to ensure clarity, reliability, and validity. The findings highlight that the principal's leadership significantly influences the adoption of innovations and the systematic improvement of educational institutions. The study underscores the importance of strategic planning, including the assessment of current educational technology resources and the development of comprehensive implementation strategies, as key components for achieving long-term institutional success.The effects of the implementation of roles and duties affect all aspects of organizational life innovation change that is done by the principle. Innovation, changes made by principals in improving the quality of education clearly have a systematic effect on institutes, so it is important to view how the principal's role in running as an education leader in school. At the organizational level, leadership of the principal as the main person who can synchronize between the individual lives with the expectations of the organization in the future. Conclusions from this analysis point to the importance of leadership assessing their current educational technology resources, including financial, material, and human resources. This paper also highlights the importance of strategic planning that includes technology implementation as part of its objectives and creates a structure for that implementation, and includes rigorous assessment as part of a strategic plan for technology implementation.