Working with ICT: Perceptions of Australian principals

Without the support of school leaders, particularly the principal, the educational potential of information and communications technology may not be realised. Principals need to assume a major responsibility for initiating and implementing school change through the use of information and communications technology and can facilitate complex decisions to integrate it into learning, teaching and school administration. However, little is known about its use by principals, their perceived competence in it and their preferred means of acquiring these skills and understandings. This paper will report on these issues from an initial analysis of baseline data gathered from a survey of all elementary and secondary principals in government, Catholic and independent schools in the coastal Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. Findings indicate that there were considerable variations in the use of information and communications technology by principals and in their perceived competencies. Preferences for learning more about it and possible professional development strategies to cater for these variations are explored and recommendations made for the attention of decision makers and policy developers.