Digital Leadership Transformation of School Principals in Enhancing Teachers’ Professional Competence in Elementary Schools

Abstract

The rapid digital transformation of education has significantly altered the roles and responsibilities of school principals, requiring them to adopt digital leadership practices that support teachers’ professional growth and instructional innovation. Despite the increasing importance of digital leadership in educational settings, limited studies have explored how principals transform their leadership practices to enhance teachers’ professional competence, particularly in elementary schools. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the transformation of principals’ digital leadership in improving teachers’ professional competence in elementary school environments. Specifically, the study examined the forms of digital leadership transformation, the strategies employed by principals, the supporting and inhibiting factors influencing the transformation process, and its impact on teachers’ professional competence. This study employed a qualitative approach using a case study design. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation analysis involving principals, teachers, and educational staff. The study was conducted from January to April 2026. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings revealed that principals transformed digital leadership through the integration of digital communication platforms, Google Workspace, school social media, Interactive Flat Panel (IFP) technology, Chromebook-supported learning, Canva, CapCut, and the Ruang Belajar GTK platform. The transformation was further strengthened through collaborative professional learning communities, peer mentoring systems, technology-based supervision, and motivational leadership practices. Supporting factors included teachers’ willingness to learn, collaborative school culture, and principal support, while inhibiting factors comprised limited technological infrastructure, unequal digital competence, unstable internet connectivity, and administrative burdens. The transformation positively enhanced teachers’ digital literacy, instructional creativity, reflective teaching practices, communication competence, and continuous professional development. These findings imply that successful digital leadership transformation requires not only technological resources but also adaptive leadership, collaborative organizational culture, and sustained professional learning support.