E-leadership Practices of School Principals and the Barriers they face in Private School Sector of Lahore

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study is to explore e-leadership practices of private school principals with an emphasis on how school principals incorporate digital technologies into their leadership practices. Further, the research is focused to investigate the challenges and barriers that school leaders face to implement the e-leadership practices. This exploratory study is based on constructivist paradigm. Data were acquired using semi-structured interviews with 10 private school principals selected purposively. The qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed five major themes regarding e-leadership practices of private school principals. These themes include: technological integration, digital communication, professional growth, data-driven decision making, and collaboration and innovation Technology integration and digital communication were found to considerably increase administrative efficiency and collaboration, but professional growth and new e-leadership practices were considered as critical for creating a dynamic educational environment. The findings further unveil that key obstacles/challenges in the implementation of e-leadership practices include poor infrastructure, digital literacy gaps, and opposition by the staff to change traditional practices into e-practices. Recommendations include enhancing technical infrastructure, expanding digital literacy training, fostering a collaborative culture, getting technology financing, and offering ongoing professional development may improve the e-leadership practices in private school sector.