A review of research on the challenges principals face in integrating digital technologies

This paper aims to explore the effect of digital technology on principals’ leadership. As digital technologies become increasingly integrated into educational practice, understanding how school leaders adopt and accept these technologies is important. This is because principals are central figures in school governance, and their leadership practices influence the availability of digital resources, teachers’ motivation, and technology integration within schools. In this paper, we identify the types of technologies that principals commonly use, describe the challenges that they encounter in adopting, and provide reasonable suggestions. Specifically, by drawing on the PRISMA searching strategy, we searched databases such as Web of Science and Scopus and included 29 peer-reviewed articles. Analysisreveals that principals have integrated different digital technologies into their leadership practices, such as digital devices, school information management systems, and communication platforms. These technologies can support teachers’ instructional practices, assist principals in managing administrative tasks, and facilitate collaboration between teachers and principals. However, despite these technologies being adopted, principals still face several challenges. For instance, some principals might lack adequate digital infrastructure and digital competence. These challenges might constrain their capacity to integrate digital technologies into their leadership practices effectively. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of educational leadership in the digital era.