Teachers’ Digital Leadership and Competencies in Primary Education: A Cross-Sectional Behavioral Study

This paper investigates the case of digital leadership at the level of primary education based on in-service teachers’ digital competence and leadership styles in Western Greece. The objectives of this study are also to identify the effects of different kinds of leadership styles on teachers’ satisfaction and the adoption of digital practices and to identify gaps in educators’ digital skills. Quantitative design was supported, and for research purposes, a structured survey was administered to 105 primary school teachers. Different statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among leadership styles, demographic factors, and digital competencies, with a specific interest in transformational leadership. The results indicate that transformational leadership plays a pivotal role in enhancing teachers’ satisfaction and fostering the adoption of digital leadership practices; hence, it is of special importance when promoting digital transformation in schools. The results point to a large gap in the digital competencies of teachers that targeted professional development programs could make up for. In terms of demographic variables, neither gender nor age was found to be a significant predictor of leadership style, while postgraduate education was found to be positively linked to more advanced leadership practices. These findings stress the importance of teachers in the process of shaping digital transformation and call for further research to develop a deeper understanding of what works in effective digital leadership in education that can support the development of high-performing digital ecosystems in schools.