The strategic influence of school principal leadership in the digital transformation of schools.

This paper analyzes the key factors for the successful digital transformation of schools through the use of Educational Digital Resources (EDRs), paying special attention to school principals and their leadership from a strategic pedagogical perspective. A model is proposed to determine which aspects of principal leadership influence EDR use, and factor analysis is conducted with all the items included in the model. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) variance analysis is then used to perform a factor analysis of the resulting dimensions. The model is tested with a sample of 142 Spanish school principals. The results show that how useful school principals perceive EDRs to be is the most influential variable in the digital transformation of schools. Other key factors include school contextual variables, the technical support and service related to the EDRs, and the principal's professional and personal profile. Educational policies for digital transformation should thus integrate principals into their core definition, considering factors such as their age or teaching and leadership experience. They should also consider contextual factors, such as school size and complexity and the school's digital culture. School principals' leadership can facilitate a digital culture transformation, not through their authority or bureaucratic influence, but rather their capacity to foster an open debate that allows educational communities to see the integration of EDRs into pedagogical models as an opportunity to improve outcomes. • Educational digital resources (EDRs) are key to schools' digital transformation. • School principal leadership influences the use of EDRs at schools. • Perceived EDR usefulness by principals is key to schools' digital transformation. • School contextual factors influence digital transformation and EDR integration. • Technical support and service are fundamental to EDR use at schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]