THE IMPACT OF ADMINISTRATORS’ INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ON TEACHER EFFICACY FOR PREPARING STUDENTS FOR HIGH-STAKES ONLINE TESTING

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to examine the impact of administrators’ instructional technology leadership development on teacher efficacy for preparing students for high-stake online testing. The ten Texas administrators were interviewed two times in this multiple case study to determine if their capacity for instructional technology leadership development was changed by the professional learning they completed, and if their learning resulted in changes to teacher efficacy. The central question framing this study was: What is the impact of administrators’ instructional technology leadership development on teacher efficacy for preparing students for high-stakes online testing? The following sub-questions helped to guide the research: Sub-question 1: Does the administrator’s leadership development for the transition to online testing impact their leadership behaviors? Sub-question 2: What are the administrator’s perceptions of the impact of their leadership development on teacher efficacy for the transition to online testing? The findings of the study indicated that the administrators believed their professional learning did increase their instructional technology leadership capacity. The administrators also indicated that they believed that teachers’ efficacy for preparing students for the mandated online administration of the State of Texas Assessment for Academic Readiness in the spring of 2023 increased due to their leadership. The cross-case analysis revealed that cultural conditions of future-focused thinking, risk taking, collaborative learning, and shared vision paired with capacity conditions of systems designed to respond to change, reduce implementation barriers, and opportunities for engagement and experience with the online testing platform through professional learning resulted in increased instructional technology leadership capacity and increased teacher efficacy. The implications for practice are that appropriate amounts of time and opportunities should be provided for effective implementation of an online testing platform and that instructional technology leadership should prioritize context-specific professional learning and approach instructional technology implementation from a change management perspective. Instructional technology leadership professional learning should be experiential and grounded in the specific instructional tool or platform that prepares the administrator to act as a mentor of support as teachers use the tool or platform.