Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysis
This meta-analysis examines the relationship between digital leadership and school effectiveness in the digital era, synthesising evidence from 11 empirical studies across six countries. Against the backdrop of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has transformed educational paradigms through te...
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| Language: | English |
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Academy of Cognitive and Natural Sciences
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Educational Technology Quarterly |
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| Online Access: | https://acnsci.org/journal/index.php/etq/article/view/972 |
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| author | John Olayemi Okunlola |
| author_facet | John Olayemi Okunlola |
| author_sort | John Olayemi Okunlola |
| collection | DOAJ |
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This meta-analysis examines the relationship between digital leadership and school effectiveness in the digital era, synthesising evidence from 11 empirical studies across six countries. Against the backdrop of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has transformed educational paradigms through technologies like AI, IoT, and ICT, digital leadership has emerged as a critical factor in enhancing institutional outcomes. The study addresses five research questions, employing PRISMA-guided methodology to analyse peer-reviewed studies (2010--2024) from Scopus, Semantic Scholar, and Google Scholar. Using JASP 0.16.4 for random-effects modelling, the analysis revealed a robust pooled effect size (r = 0.672, p < 0.001), confirming digital leadership's significant positive impact on school effectiveness. Subgroup analyses showed notable variability, with Thailand (r = 0.784) and Malaysia (r = 0.553) demonstrating the strongest effects, while Indonesia (r = 0.123) and Bahrain (r = 0.209) exhibited weaker but still significant correlations. Publication bias assessments, including funnel plot asymmetry and trim-and-fill analysis, indicated minor bias but did not undermine the overall significance of findings. Fail-safe N tests (p = 0.000) further validated the results' robustness. The study highlights the need for context-specific digital leadership frameworks, particularly in regions with limited research representation. Practical implications include prioritising administrator training in data-driven decision-making and ICT integration, while policy recommendations emphasise infrastructure investment and standardised competency frameworks. Limitations include geographic underrepresentation and reliance on correlation-based studies. Future research should expand to underrepresented regions. This meta-analysis contributes to the growing evidence supporting digital leadership as a transformative force in 21st-century education.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2950a7a1e0924c0dbff9d7638aa4230b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2831-5332 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Cognitive and Natural Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Educational Technology Quarterly |
| spelling | doaj-art-2950a7a1e0924c0dbff9d7638aa4230b2025-08-20T17:06:45ZengAcademy of Cognitive and Natural SciencesEducational Technology Quarterly2831-53322025-08-0110.55056/etq.972Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysisJohn Olayemi Okunlola0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7234-0504University of Johannesburg This meta-analysis examines the relationship between digital leadership and school effectiveness in the digital era, synthesising evidence from 11 empirical studies across six countries. Against the backdrop of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has transformed educational paradigms through technologies like AI, IoT, and ICT, digital leadership has emerged as a critical factor in enhancing institutional outcomes. The study addresses five research questions, employing PRISMA-guided methodology to analyse peer-reviewed studies (2010--2024) from Scopus, Semantic Scholar, and Google Scholar. Using JASP 0.16.4 for random-effects modelling, the analysis revealed a robust pooled effect size (r = 0.672, p < 0.001), confirming digital leadership's significant positive impact on school effectiveness. Subgroup analyses showed notable variability, with Thailand (r = 0.784) and Malaysia (r = 0.553) demonstrating the strongest effects, while Indonesia (r = 0.123) and Bahrain (r = 0.209) exhibited weaker but still significant correlations. Publication bias assessments, including funnel plot asymmetry and trim-and-fill analysis, indicated minor bias but did not undermine the overall significance of findings. Fail-safe N tests (p = 0.000) further validated the results' robustness. The study highlights the need for context-specific digital leadership frameworks, particularly in regions with limited research representation. Practical implications include prioritising administrator training in data-driven decision-making and ICT integration, while policy recommendations emphasise infrastructure investment and standardised competency frameworks. Limitations include geographic underrepresentation and reliance on correlation-based studies. Future research should expand to underrepresented regions. This meta-analysis contributes to the growing evidence supporting digital leadership as a transformative force in 21st-century education. https://acnsci.org/journal/index.php/etq/article/view/972digital leadershipschool effectivenessmeta-analysisFourth Industrial Revolution |
| spellingShingle | John Olayemi Okunlola Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysis Educational Technology Quarterly digital leadership school effectiveness meta-analysis Fourth Industrial Revolution |
| title | Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysis |
| title_full | Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysis |
| title_fullStr | Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysis |
| title_short | Digital leadership: shaping school effectiveness in the digital era - a meta-analysis |
| title_sort | digital leadership shaping school effectiveness in the digital era a meta analysis |
| topic | digital leadership school effectiveness meta-analysis Fourth Industrial Revolution |
| url | https://acnsci.org/journal/index.php/etq/article/view/972 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnolayemiokunlola digitalleadershipshapingschooleffectivenessinthedigitaleraametaanalysis |