The importance of the school principals' role in the digital transformation of the education sector

Purpose This study examines the critical elements that contribute to the effective adoption of educational digital resources (EDRs) in schools, with a focus on school principals and their leadership, from a strategic pedagogical standpoint. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 200 school principals, measurement and structure models are tested through structural equation modeling to quantify the impact between constructs. Findings The findings indicate that the most important factor influencing how effectively schools are transforming digitally is how beneficial school principals believe EDRs to be. Other important elements include the environment of the school, the technical assistance and service provided for the EDRs, and the professional and personal background of the principal. Practical implications Principals should be a fundamental component of educational plans for digital transformation, considering things like their age, leadership and teaching experience. Other components include contextual elements like school size, complexity and digital culture. A school principal's ability to promote an open dialogue – that enables educational communities to view the integration of EDRs into pedagogical models as an opportunity to improve outcomes – can assist a digital culture transition, rather than via the principal's authority or bureaucratic influence. Originality/value This research is among the pioneer to study the role of school principals in the UAE towards understanding the direction for digital transformation.