Visionary Leadership: The Key to Digital Transformation in Elementary Schools

Ilustrasi by AI

FORMOSA NEWS

The digital transformation of elementary schools now depends less on the availability of infrastructure and more on the strategic role of school principals as visionary leaders. Recent research by Iis Suryani and her team from Galuh University, published in the Journal of Educational Analytics (2026), reveals that school principals in Cluster V, Panawangan District, Ciamis, successfully led digital adaptation through four primary roles: designers, problem solvers, role models, and strategists.

Overcoming the Digital Divide

Although physical infrastructure such as Wi-Fi and digital devices has reached a readiness score of 85%, the study identified significant challenges in human resource capacity. Only half of the teachers possess digital pedagogy qualifications, and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains very low, at just 30%. This phenomenon indicates that the primary barrier to digital transformation in schools is not facility-related, but rather the mental readiness and adaptive skills of the educators.

Visionary Leadership Strategies

This qualitative case study found that successful digital transformation is driven by a holistic leadership approach, including the following:

• ·         Principals as Designers: They build a digital ecosystem not through top-down mandates, but through collaborative dialogue to create a coding curriculum and "Digital Offline" innovations to overcome infrastructure limitations.
• ·         Principals as Problem Solvers: They have shifted from intuitive decision-making to data-driven approaches using Education Report Card data and the Identification-Reflection-Improvement (IRB) cycle.
• ·         Principals as Role Models: They position themselves as "first learners," becoming proficient in operating technology such as the Interactive Flat Panel (IFP) to inspire teachers.
• ·         Innovative Strategies: They optimize technology through official teacher certification, "Digital Tuesday" peer-coaching forums, and the use of AI as a "smart assistant" that reduces administrative burdens by up to 50%.

Impact on Education

These findings confirm that visionary leadership is essential to aligning an organization’s vision with the future potential of technology. By reducing administrative workloads through AI, teachers can focus more on pedagogical interactions and the emotional development of their students. This leadership model has proven effective in shifting the perception of technology from a threat to a tool for improving learning quality.

Author Profiles:

·         Iis SuryaniUniversitas Galuh, Ciamis, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

·         Dede SatiamanUniversitas Galuh, Ciamis, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

·         FitrianiUniversitas Galuh, Ciamis, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

·         Maman HermanUniversitas Galuh, Ciamis, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

·         Asep AmamUniversitas Galuh, Ciamis, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

Research Source:

Suryani, I., Satiman, D., Fitriani, F., Herman, M., & Amam, A. (2026). Visionary Leadership of School Principals in the Digitalization Era: A Case Study of Cluster V Schools in Panawangan District, Ciamis Regency. Journal of Educational Analytics (JEDA), 5(2), 447-461.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jeda.v5i2.7

URL: https://journaljeda.my.id/index.php/jeda