DIGITAL LEADERSHIP AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCY AMONG EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL

Abstract

Rapid technological change over the past decade has compelled schools and educational agencies to adapt their teaching methods and management practices to a shifting context. This academic article aims to present the concept, components, and role of digital leadership in developing the digital technology competency of educational personnel, drawing on and synthesising the work of Thai and international scholars. The synthesis indicates that digital leadership refers to an administrator's capacity to articulate a digital vision, cultivate an innovation-receptive organizational culture, and drive institutional change through the strategic use of digital technology as a key instrument. Its core components include having a clear digital vision, communication and network building, fostering a culture of innovation, and continuous capacity building for staff. Administrators with a high level of digital leadership tend to promote the development of teachers' and staff's digital competency across several dimensions, including foundational information technology knowledge, the ability to design technology-enhanced instruction, and media and information literacy. Nevertheless, Thai education continues to face several challenges, such as infrastructure inequality, resistance to change among some personnel, and the absence of a systematic, continuous staff-development plan. This article therefore proposes strategies for strengthening digital leadership, namely developing administrators' digital competency alongside their change-leadership capacity, establishing technology-based professional learning communities, and formulating clear, supportive policy at every level. The conclusions offer practical guidance for school administrators and related agencies in planning digital leadership development to raise the digital competency of educational personnel in keeping with twenty-first-century change.