The Relationship Between School Administrators' Technological Leadership Self-Efficacy and Their Views on Distance Education

Abstract

The present study, employing a descriptive survey design, explored school administrators’ technological leadership self-efficacy and views on distance education in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic by school type and level and administrators’ title, gender, educational attainment, age, and service and managerial seniority. The research data were collected online using the “Technology Leadership Competency Scale for School Administrators” (TLCSSA), and the “Opinions on Distance Education Scale” (ODES). In general, it was discovered that the majority of the participating school administrators used virtual classrooms, messaging applications, and education portals. The findings revealed that the participants’ mean technological leadership self-efficacy score was high, whereas it was vice versa on the ODES. The results also showed that the administrators employed in private schools had more positive views on distance education than their counterparts in public schools, which was also the case between the school administrators in primary schools and those serving in middle and high schools, respectively. Besides, the school administrators working in high schools had significantly greater technological leadership selfefficacy than their counterparts in middle schools. Finally, visionary leadership, digital age learning culture, excellence in professional practice, and systematic development - the TLCSSA - were positively associated with the participants’ views on the personal relevance of distance education.