A Proposed Framework for Enhancing Digital Leadership Practices among Public School Principals in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

The research aims to identify the level of digital leadership practice among principals of government schools in the Sultanate of Oman and to examine differences in the respondents’ perceptions according to gender, academic qualification, and educational stage. It also sought to identify the major obstacles to the practice of digital leadership and the requirements for its activation. To achieve these objectives, the researcher adopted the descriptive-analytical approach and used a questionnaire as the data collection instrument. Data were collected from a simple random sample of 124 participants, comprising principals of government schools in the Sultanate of Oman during the 2024/2025 academic year. The findings revealed that the overall level of digital leadership practice was high. The most significant obstacles were administrative and technical challenges, while the requirements for activating digital leadership were rated very high. The technical requirements ranked first, followed by training and professional development requirements, and then organizational and administrative requirements. The results also indicated that there are no statistically significant differences in terms of gender, academic qualification, or educational stage. In light of these findings, the research recommended strengthening professional development programs in digital leadership, enhancing digital infrastructure, integrating artificial intelligence applications into the preparation of school leaders, and providing institutional support while promoting awareness of digital legislation and cybersecurity, thereby supporting digital transformation and improving leadership performance in government schools.