EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY EFFECTIVENESS: A CASE STUDY OF PRINCIPALS’ STRATEGIES
Somayeh Mafi1, Alireza Moghaddam2*
1M.Ed., Islamic Azad University, IRAN, mafiamirhm@gmail.com
2Assistant Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, CANADA, amoghaddam@mun.ca
*Corresponding author
Abstract
This study intended to identify: (1) the extent to which high school principals use strategies in order to manage technology; (2) the level of effectiveness the principals administer their school; and (3) the relationship between these strategies and the effective administration. The researchers adopted Weng’s and Tang’s (2014) “Technology Leadership Strategies and School Administrative Effectiveness Scale” and administered it as a questionnaire through a survey method. Statistical population included 60 private high school principals and total population sampling was applied because of the limited number of the participants. Data analysis involved running a Pearson correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Analysis also benefited from simple linear regression to examine if management strategies predict administration effectiveness. The correlation coefficient test reveals that there is a moderately positive relationship between technology management strategies and school effectiveness (r = 0.473). Results of simple linear regression analysis also predict the dependent variable, effective school administration, as a function of independent variable, strategies of technology management (r2 = 0.210). These findings could imply that effective school administration might be reached partially by identifying and implementing strategies to manage technology. These strategies and their implementations are in part affected by principals’ knowledge of technology, their application skills in educational context, as well as their attitudes towards technology (whether or not technology could be a means of effectiveness). The study provides implications for policy makers, technology superintendents, principals and teacher’s colleges. Policy makers should be aware of the technology effects on the functions of schools and facilitate the equipment of educational settings with the appropriate technologies. Technology superintendents are to provide leadership needed to make decisions in the era that its main characteristic is “change”. School principals are expected to keep abreast of technology developments, assess their pros and cons, and incorporate the ones that meet their needs in their professional responsibilities. Teacher’s colleges must revise their courses and/or to develop diploma programs to include technology administration in their program offerings.
| FULL TEXT PDF |  |