School Principals’ Technology Leadership and Teachers’ Technology Integration in Ghanaian Basic Schools

Abstract

The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has underscored the importance of school principals’ technology leadership in influencing teachers’ instructional practices. However, evidence from Ghanaian basic schools remains limited. This study examined the level of school principals’ technology leadership (PTL), the extent of teachers’ technology integration (TTI), and the influence of PTL on TTI in public basic schools within the Adjen-Kotoku Circuit of the Ga West Municipality, Ghana. Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory, the study adopted a positivist paradigm and a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. A census approach was used to collect data from 198 teachers using validated instruments adapted from the Principal Technology Leadership Assessment Questionnaire and the Teacher Technology Integration Survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that principals demonstrated a moderate level of technology leadership (M = 3.20, SD = 0.61), while teachers exhibited a high level of technology integration (M = 3.70, SD = 0.64). Regression results indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between PTL and TTI (R = .44, R² = .19, p < .001), showing that principals’ technology leadership accounted for 19% of the variance in teachers’ technology integration. Visionary leadership and digital citizenship emerged as significant predictors of TTI. The findings highlight the critical role of strengthening principals’ leadership capacities to sustain effective technology integration in Ghanaian basic schools.