Interventions by school leaders in effective implementation of information and communications technology: perceptions of Australian principals

Abstract

The ways in which we teach, the ways in which children learn, and the ways in which we manage schools are changing as a result of implementation of information and communications technology (ICT). Recent reports in the USA and Australia demonstrate that considerable progress has been made in ICT adoption in schools but that there are huge variations in implementation of ICT from classroom to classroom and from school to school. It is argued in this article that one factor which might explain some of this variation in elementary schools is the way in which principals undertake their responsibilities. The elementary principal has a major role in facilitating the implementation of ICT in schools as he or she can influence the organisational and social culture of the school through his or her interventions. Further, it is suggested that the quantity and quality of these interventions regarding ICT may have impact on implementation of ICT. Research findings from an exploratory study in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia, will be used to illustrate interventions by principals which lead to a higher degree of success in implementation of ICT in their schools