Date of Graduation

7-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

Advisor/Mentor

Carleton R. Holt

Committee Member

Ed Bengtson

Second Committee Member

Betsy Orr

Keywords

Education, Perceptions of technology, Principal technology leadership, Technology, Technology implementation

Abstract

School administrators who are able to implement technology in their schools must see themselves as technology leaders; they are enthusiastic when it comes to using technology in professional development. This research study investigated how high school principals’ attitudes and perceptions of effectively organizing, utilizing, and implementing technology in order to support the mission and vision of the school by using the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A) and Performance Indicators for Administrators (ISTE/NETS-A). For school administrators to provide effective leadership in their schools in the 21st century, they must possess knowledge and understanding of the issues and the capabilities of technology. This qualitative research study presents and explains the ten participant administrators’ missions and visions of technology implementation in urban high schools. The findings from this study suggest that while principals wanted to be technology leaders, they felt they were inadequately prepared and lacked the professional development to fully carry out the role. Principals must be leaders of technology in their mission and vision for their schools. They must get involved with planning and infrastructure to ensure their schools are properly equipped with technology tools. Also, there is a need for administrators to become well-trained and well-versed in technology, allowing for better support and guidance for teachers charged with implementing technology. This study will contribute to the current body of literature by corroborating the importance of following the ISTE/NETS-A to ensure a successful technology program. It will fill a gap in the literature by addressing attitudes and perceptions of administrators toward technology leadership. It will address strategies of technology integration and how principals transform their schools through technology leadership to become visionary administrators. It is no secret that technology is here and here to stay. It is constantly changing, and for any organization to be viable in the 21st century, it must stay current and knowledgeable regarding technology. In education, administrators must take the lead in learning, understanding, sharing, and implementing technology at their schools or face an inevitable demise in competitiveness in a future society.

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