Elementary Principals' Perceptions of Technology Leadership During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Virginia

This study investigated the perceptions of elementary school principals in Virginia in their role as technology leaders during the COVID-19 global pandemic. This study focused on three research questions: 1) What technology leadership requirements did elementary principals feel were emphasized due to the COVID-19 pandemic? 2) What level of support and preparedness did elementary school principals receive for their role as technology leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic? 3) How did elementary school principals adapt their practices and development as technology leaders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Invitations to participate were sent to over 600 elementary school principals in Virginia. As part of the study, the researcher interviewed a group of elementary principals (n=12) from several school divisions across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The themes generated from the transcripts of interviews were analyzed to generate findings and implications from the perspectives shared by the participants. The analysis showed that 75% of the participants actively deployed, distributed, and managed 1:1 devices in their building. Concerning preparedness, 91% of the participants reported that they did not feel adequately prepared for their role as technology leaders. However, the pandemic response also made them feel supported by their school division to fulfill the necessary obligations, and less than half (42%) of the participants reported a lack of support. Technology-focused Professional development having more importance than before the pandemic was a perspective shared by 67% of the participants. The majority of participants (58.3%) indicated they placed greater importance on their staff's effective use of technology due to their experiences during COVID-19. Findings suggest that elementary principals embraced their role as technology leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of not feeling prepared or necessarily knowing how to define technology leadership. The implications of this study could significantly contribute to school leaders, school divisions, and principal preparation program leaders in promoting technology leadership among elementary principals in Virginia.