Feedback of School Leaders on the Use of a Digital Maturity Model in Supporting School Transformation: A Thematic Analysis
Keywords:
digital maturity, school transformation, leadership, innovation, thematic analysisAbstract
Digital transformation in schools requires structured frameworks that guide planning, implementation, and evaluation of digital initiatives. However, many school leaders lack practical tools to assess their digital readiness and to monitor progress in their transformation. This study explored the feedback of three school leaders who implemented a Digital Maturity Model (DMM) to support school transformation planning. A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed four key themes: strategic clarity, data-informed decision-making, leadership empowerment, and systematic school improvement. The results indicate that the Digital Maturity Model is a practical and user-friendly tool that supports structured planning and continuous digital transformation in schools.
References
Arifani, Y., Suryanti, S., Raja Harun, RNS., Wahi, W., & Susanto, S. (2026). Editorial: Redefining learning in the digital age: pedagogical strategies and outcomes. Frontier Education, 11, 1811393. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1811393
Asante, K., & Novák, P. (2023). When the push and pull factors in digital educational resources backfire: the role of digital leader in digital educational resources usage. Education and Information Technologies, 29(6), 6553-6578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12095-8
Baxter, J., Floyd, A., & Jewitt, K. (2022). Pandemic, a catalyst for change: Strategic planning for digital education in English secondary schools, before during and post Covid. British Educational Research Journal, 49(2), 329-351. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3845
Braun V., & Clarke V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Denzin N. K. (1978). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods. McGraw-Hill.
Dexter, S., Francisco, A., & Luna, C. (2021). Five leading-edge K-12 districts’ decision-making processes for EdTech innovations. Journal of Educational Administration, 59(3), 352-366. https://doi.org/10.1108/jea-10-2020-0222
Dexter, S., & Richardson, J. W. (2019). What does technology integration research tell us about the leadership of technology? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2019.1668316
Haryanti, T., Rakhmawati, N. A., & Subriadi, A. P. (2023). The extended digital maturity model. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 7(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc7010017
Hariyani, D., Hariyani, P., & Mishra, S. (2025). The role of leadership in sustainable digital transformation of the organization. Sustainable Futures, 10, 101130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101130
Kahveci, E. (2025). Digital transformation in SMEs: enablers, interconnections, and a framework for sustainable competitive advantage. Administrative Sciences, 15(3), 107. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15030107
Ladu, L., Ladu, L., Koch, C., Koch, C., Parsa Asna Ashari, Parsa Asna Ashari, Blind, K., Blind, K., & Pavel Castka. (2024). Technology adoption and digital maturity in the conformity assessment industry: Empirical evidence from an international study. Technology in Society, 102564–102564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102564
Lim, W. M. (2025). What is qualitative research? An overview and guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 33(2), 199-229.
Ly, N., & Nguyen, H. (2024). Exploring the nexus of organizational culture, digital capabilities, and organizational readiness for change in primary school in digital transformation: A quantitative analysis. International Journal of Educational Methodology, 10(2), 325-336. https://doi.org/10.12973/ijem.10.2.325
Masiello, I., Fixsen, D., Nordmark, S., Mohseni, Z., Holmberg, K., Rack, J., & Augustsson, H. (2023). Digital transformation in schools of two southern regions of Sweden through implementation-informed approach: A mixed-methods study protocol. Plos One, 18(12), e0296000. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296000
McCarthy, A. M., Maor, D., McConney, A., & Cavanaugh, C. (2023). Digital Transformation in education: Critical Components for Leaders of System Change. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100479
Mizova, B., Parvanova, Y., & Peytcheva-Forsyth, R. (2026). Leading the digital transformation of education: The perspective of school principals. Administrative Sciences, 16(1), 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci16010057
OECD. (2025). Resourcing school education: policies for the digital transformation of education and future-readiness of teachers. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/resourcing-school-education.html (accessed on 8 January 2025).
Razak, N., Rasli, R., Subhan, S., Ahmad, N., & Malik, S. (2023). Systematic review on digital transformation among teachers in public schools. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 12(2), 1059. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v12i2.24498
Reis-Andersson, J. (2024). Leading the digitalization in K–12 education at the municipality level. Cogent Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2024.2368997
Song, R., Pang, F., Jiang, H., & Zhu, H. (2024). A machine learning based method for constructing group profiles of university students. Heliyon, 10(7), e29181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29181
Tagscherer, F., & Carbon, C.-C. (2023). Leadership for successful digitalization: A literature review on companies’ internal and external aspects of digitalization. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship, 2(2), 1–15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773032823000032
Tagscherer, F., & Carbon, C.-C. (2025). The role of transformational leadership in navigating digital servitization. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship, 4(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stae.2025.100098
Tsimpanis, K., Avouris, N., Chounta, I. A., Daskalaki, S., Dimitriadis, Y., Gari, C. M. (2023). Implementing a data-driven framework for measuring digital readiness across European universities. Proceedings of European University Information Systems Congress 2023, 95, 129–139.
Yamamoto, Y., & Yamaguchi, S. (2019). Relationships between ICT implementation at schools and factors related to transformational leadership: A case of primary school in Mongolia. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 15, 45–61.
Yuan, P., Chen, X., & Song, H. (2026). School principals' perspectives and leadership styles for digital transformation: A Q-methodology study. Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 16(2), 165. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16020165
Yuliandari, T., Putri, A., & Rosmansyah, Y. (2023). Digital transformation in secondary schools: A systematic literature review. IEEE Access, 11, 90459-90476. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2023.3306603
Valdivia-Salazar, C., Serquén, O., Guevara, L., Bravo-Jaico, J., Alarcón, R., Germán, N., Aquino, J., Maquen-Niño, GLE., & Moreno Heredia, A. (2025). Development and validation of an instrument to assess the maturity of digital transformation in higher education institutions. Frontier Education, 10, 1691178. https://doi/org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1691178
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 KOK MING GOH, Oon Chin Heng
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
