eprintid: 1747
rev_number: 9
eprint_status: archive
userid: 4
dir: disk0/00/00/17/47
datestamp: 2026-10-26 00:20:24
lastmod: 2026-10-26 00:20:24
status_changed: 2026-10-26 00:20:24
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Bistra, Mizova
creators_name: Yonka, Parvanova
creators_name: Roumiana, Peytcheva-Forsyth
title: Leading the Digital Transformation of Education: The Perspective of School Principals
ispublished: pub
subjects: L1
divisions: JPS
full_text_status: public
keywords: typologisation of digital leadership; school principals; digital transformation; educational management; mixed methods research; Bulgaria
abstract: This mixed-methods study investigates the strategic management of digital transformation in Bulgarian schools by analysing principals’ self-reported leadership practices and styles.Using data from a nationally representative sample (N = 349) gathered through the SELFIE tool, complemented by 30 in-depth interviews, the research examines how school leaders understand and enact their roles as digital leaders within a context of fragmented policies and uneven digital capacity. Quantitative results reveal a central paradox: although 89.7% of principals claim to actively support teachers’ digital innovation, only about half report having a formalised digital strategy. This imbalance between strong operational support and weak institutionalisation reflects the dominant approach to school digitalisation in Bulgaria. Qualitative cluster analysis identifies three leadership profiles: (1) a strategic–collaborative profile, characterised by long-term planning, partnerships, and data-driven decisions; (2) a supportive–collaborative profile focused on teacher communities and context-specific professional development but lacking strategic vision; and (3) a balanced–pragmatic profile oriented toward measurable improvements and adaptive responses. Triangulation with national assessment data shows that leadership styles align with institutional contexts: high-performing schools tend to apply strategic–collaborative leadership, while lower performing schools adopt pragmatic, adaptive approaches. The study argues that digital transformation requires context-sensitive frameworks recognising multiple developmental trajectories, highlighting the need for differentiated policies that support strategic institutionalisation of existing digital innovations while addressing structural inequalities.
date: 2026-01-22
date_type: published
publication: Administrative Sciences
volume: 16(1)
number: 57
publisher: Faculty of Education, Sofia University
pagerange: 15-37
id_number: https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci16010057
refereed: TRUE
citation:   Bistra, Mizova and Yonka, Parvanova and Roumiana, Peytcheva-Forsyth  (2026) Leading the Digital Transformation of Education: The Perspective of School Principals.  Administrative Sciences, 16(1) (57).  pp. 15-37.      
document_url: http://eprints.iab.edu.my/v2/1747/1/admsci-16-00057-with-cover.pdf