The Power of Technology in School Leadership during COVID-19: Insights from the Field (Studies in Educational Leadership, 26)

Preface
Contents
Editors and Contributors
About the Editors
Contributors
Part I: Introduction
	Chapter 1: The Impact of the Pandemic Crisis and the Use of Technology in School Leadership: An Introduction
		Introduction: “Unknown Unknowns”
		Leading and Managing During Times of Crisis
		School Leadership and Technology/Digitalization
		The Future Steps of Technology/Digitalization in School Leadership
		References
Part II: International Perspectives on School Leadership and Technology During COVID-19
	Chapter 2: Providing Continuity of Student Instruction During and After COVID-19: An International Study of School Leader’s Use of Technology
		Introduction
		Methodology
		Factors Associated with the Transition from In-Person to Online Teaching and Learning During COVID
			Nature and Quality of Interpersonal Relationships
			Trust
			Respect and Care
			Familiarity with the Community
			Effective Communication
		Technical Challenges Associated with the Transition to Online Learning
			School Principals’ Digital Literacy
			Teachers’ Digital Literacy
			Students’ and Parents’ Digital Literacy
			Availability of Technology for Online Teaching and Learning
		How Principals Addressed Teacher Accountability for Student Learning During COVID
		Discussion
			Social Justice Issues
			The Multiple Functions of Schools
			The Social-Ecological Framework as a Lens for Interpreting Our Findings
		Recommendations to School Principals for Leading Their Schools in the New Digital Ecosystem
		Mesosystem
			Relational
			Technical
		Microsystem
			Relational
			Technical
		Epilogue: Preliminary Results of Teachers’ Use of Technology, Post-COVID in One Texas District
		Appendix: The Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory
		References
	Chapter 3: Leadership and Technology Supporting Quality and Equitable Schools Through the Pandemic Crisis
		Introduction
		The Context
		Leading Through the Pandemic with the Help of Technology
			Campbell McKay: School Principal of Mount Waverley Primary School (MWPS)
			Christopher Reed: School Principal of Mother Teresa Catholic Primary School (MTCPS)
		Conclusions
		References
	Chapter 4: School Leadership in Times of Uncertainty: A School Principal’s Reflections from Cyprus
		Introduction: Leading in Times of Uncertainty
		Theoretical Framework for the Study – The Pashiardis-Brauckmann Holistic Leadership Framework
		The Cyprus Educational Context
		Methodological Approach
			Sampling
			Research Tools
			Data Analysis
		School Leadership in Times of the Pandemic: The Local Reality
			School Profile
			School Population
			The Structuring Leadership Style
			The Pedagogical Leadership Style
			Personnel Development Style
		Concluding Remarks: Leading in Times of Uncertainty
		Appendix: The Interview Protocol
			Interview with a Primary School Principal
		References
	Chapter 5: Rural School Leadership and Digital Technologies: Understandings, Applications, Challenges, and Solutions
		Introduction
		Digital Competence: Definitions and Parameters
		Background and Perspectives from the Literature
			The Experience with Digital Capacities in Rural Jamaican School
			The Government of Jamaica Response to Digital Access Dilemma in Rural Schools
		Theoretically Situating School Principals’ Leadership Role in Digital Reimagination
			Brief Overview of the National Effort Toward Developing Jamaica’s Digital Competencies
			Jamaica’s Progress: The Private Sector
			Jamaica’s Progress: The Educational Sector
		Methodology
		Findings: School Principals’ Experiences with Digital Technologies – Understandings, Applications, Challenges, and Solutions
			SRQ1. Rural School Principals’ Understanding of Digital Technologies and Digital Capacities
				Digital Technologies
				Digital Capacities
			SRQ2. Rural School Principals’ Experiences Utilizing Digital Technologies Pre-pandemic
				Communication
				Administrative Purposes
				Integration of Technology in Teaching and Learning
			SRQ3. Rural School Principals’ Experiences Utilizing Digital Technologies During Pandemic and Their Capacity to Respond to Online Leadership Demands
				Level of Preparedness to Utilize Technological Demands of Job During COVID-19
				Online Technological Requirements of the Job During COVID-19
			SRQ4. Online Personal Digital Capacity Challenges Principals Encountered and They Resolved Them
				Personal Challenges and Solutions
				Challenges with Access and Devices
			SRQ5. School Principals’ Perception of How the Solutions to the Problem They Encountered May Be Applicable to the Future
				Future Applicability of Personal Digital Capacities
				Future Applicability of Physical Digital Capacities
			SRQ6. School Principals’ Navigation of Online Challenges and Their Leadership Growth and Development
		Discussion of Findings and Their Implications
		Deliberating Reimagination of Technology in Educational Leadership – Directions, Re-directions, and Conclusions
		References
	Chapter 6: School Principals as Agents on the Path to the Digitization of Greek Schools: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic
		Introduction
		Challenges of the School Principalship During the COVID-19 Crisis: Transitioning from Leadership to E-leadership
			What the Literature Says
			What Our Greek Education Said
		Conceptual Framework
		Method
			Study Sample
			Research Tools
			Data Analysis
		Findings
			Principals’ Reflections on the Difficulties with Online Teaching and Learning
			Overcoming Obstacles
			Leadership Styles and Skills to Address the New Challenges
			Discussion and Implications
			Recommendations for Policy
			Limitations
		References
	Chapter 7: The Digital Divide: Insights into an Uneven Playing Field
		Introduction
		History of Technology, Education, and Inequality
		Trends in Global Inequality
		The Impact of COVID-19 Global Perspective
		The Global Agenda: Reducing Inequality by Using Technology
		The Australian Context and Inequality in Australia
		Inequality in Australia
		Impact of the Pandemic
		Access to Technology
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 8: Leadership in Rural Texas During COVID-19: Testimonios from the Field
		Introduction
		Purpose of the Study
		Literature Review
		Research Questions
		Participants and Sites
		Findings
		Leadership
		Challenges
		Opportunities
		Guidance for School Leaders
		Discussion and Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 9: School Leadership Under the Conditions of Digitalization: A German Insight into Conditions and Challenges for School Leaders
		Introduction: School Leadership, Digitalization, and COVID-19
		Digitalization: More Than Technology
		School Leadership in Germany: A Brief Overview
		Methodological Approach
		School Leadership Under the Conditions of Digitalization: Insights from a Qualitative Research Project
		Implications
		References
	Chapter 10: Digitalization, School Leadership, and the New Normal: School Leaders’ Perceptions of Post-pandemic Development in School Organizations
		Introduction
		Previous Research
		School Leadership in the Midst of Digitalization
		Analytical Categories
		Method
			Study Context
			Respondents
			Highly Structured Interviews
			Analyzing Data
		Results
			Setting the Direction
				A Complement to the Social Space of the School
				The Vision of Adapting and Using Technology for Flexibility and Individual Needs
			Developing People
				Developing Pedagogical Aspects of Digital Competence
				Competence in Using Technologies to Meet Students’ Individual Needs
			Developing the Organization
				New Structures for Communication Between Home and School
				New Structures for Internal Meetings and Communication
			Improving Teaching and Learning
				New Opportunities to Address Problematic Absenteeism
				Broader Ways to Educate in Case of Illness and Travel
				Individualized Teaching
				Increased Flexibility in and Access to Learning and Education
		Discussion and Conclusion
		Implications for Practice and Future Research
		Data Availability Statement
		References
Part III: Technological Trends on School Leadership
	Chapter 11: Virtual Communities of Practice as a Means of Confronting with Educational “Emergency Situations” for Inclusive School Communities: The Case of COVID-19 Pandemic
		Introduction
		Vygotsky’s Socio-Culture Theory of Learning
		Situated Cognition Theory
		Communities of Practice
		The Role of School Leadership in CoP
		Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoPs)
		School Leadership and VCoPs
		Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of VCoP
		School Leadership in the Years of the Pandemic Crisis
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 12: AI Tools for Education: The Development of a Free Asynchronous Course
		AI Tools for Education: The Development of a Free Asynchronous Course
		AI and Educational Leadership
		Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies in AI for Educational Leadership
		Development
		Content
			Module 1: Introduction
			Module 2: Practical Applications
			Module 3: Future Trends
		Method
		Results
			No Suggested Changes/Positive Feedback
			Ethics and Plagiarism Detection
			Content Enhancement
			Information Organization
			Language and Translation
			Adding Practical AI Practice and Specific Use Cases
		Discussion
		References
Part IV: Conclusion
	Chapter 13: School Leaders and Technology During COVID-19: Lessons Learned from the Field and Future Implications
		Introduction
		What Have We Learned from the Field About School Leaders and Technology?
		How Does the Contextual Aspect Affect School Leaders’ Technology/Digital Capacity?
		What Are the Future Implications?
		How Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT Impact School Organizations and School Leadership in the Future?
			AI in Education
			ChatGPT in Education
			AI and ChatGPT vs the Future of School Leadership
		Concluding Remark
		References