Digital Leadership and Quality of Performance: An Examination of the Effects of Digital Transformations on School Performance in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Abstract: This study aimed to identify the effects of digital leadership and digital transformation on the quality of school performance in the Sultanate of Oman. The study adopted a descriptive research methodology. The study population consisted of all members of the school educational staff, with their various job titles, working in basic education schools in the educational governorates of North Al Batinah, Al Dhahirah, and Al Buraimi during the 2021/2022 academic year, totaling 13,468 individuals. The study sample comprised 513 participants selected from the overall study population using a simple random sampling method. A questionnaire was used as the primary instrument for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The results showed that the degree of digital leadership practice in basic education schools in the Sultanate of Oman, particularly in the governorates of North Al Batinah, Al Dhahirah, and Al Buraimi, as perceived by members of the school educational staff, was moderate and neutral. The findings also indicated that the level of readiness of basic education schools in these governorates for digital transformation, from the perspective of school educational staff, was high. Furthermore, the results revealed a strong, positive, and direct statistically significant correlation at the significance level of (α ≤ 0.05) between the practice of digital leadership by basic education school administrations and the quality of school performance. Among the main recommendations of the study are that digital education leaders and the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman should adopt digital transformation in basic education schools and provide the necessary support to ensure the successful implementation of digital transformations among school leaders, in alignment with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040. The study also recommended conducting similar studies and research addressing digital transformation and digital skills among other variables and samples from Omani society.