The 21st-century principal: A correlational study of technology leadership and technology integration in Texas K-12 schools

Technology leadership by campus administrators is crucial for the effective integration of technology in the classroom; however, a comprehensive review of the existing research reveals a gap in this field. Scholarly research helps inform educational practice and contributes to the development of standards that ensure current and future school administrators are prepared to be leaders in 21st-century schools. Administrator preparation programs, state and regional education agencies, and school districts can be better informed to help administrators develop the knowledge and skills necessary for strong technology leadership.;The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the study examined whether differences existed between K-12 principal and teacher perceptions of teachers' abilities to effectively integrate technology in the classroom. Secondly, the study sought to determine whether a relationship existed between principals' instructional-technology leadership and the effective use of technology in their instruction.;To achieve the aim of this study, a quantitative method was used with archival data received from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) through an open records request. A total of 328 principals and 303,950 teachers participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the self-reported technology-leadership proficiencies that Texas K-12 principals possess. A repeated measures MANOVA was conducted to examine differences between teachers' and principals' perceptions of teachers' abilities to integrate technology and access to professional development; however, the assumption of absence of multicollinearity was violated due to multiple correlations that were above .80; therefore, a paired sample t-test was conducted. Finally, a Pearson correlation was conducted to assess the relationship between principal leadership proficiencies and teacher's perceptions of their abilities to integrate technology and access technology-related professional development.;The results of this study indicated that a difference exists between principals' and teachers' perceptions of teachers' abilities to integrate technology and their access to technology-related professional development. Additionally, principal technology-leadership proficiencies yielded significant positive correlations with teachers' abilities to integrate technology and their access to technology-related professional development.