Abstract
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) reshapes society, digital leadership
in education becomes crucial. This study explores teachers’ perspectives on high school
principals’ digital leadership competencies in Oyo State, Nigeria, a region grappling with
the digital divide. This offers a counterpoint to research in high-income countries. Using a
quantitative, descriptive research design, 381 teachers across three senatorial districts were
selected via multi-stage sampling. The study addressed one research question and tested
two hypotheses. Data were collected using the High Schools’ Digital Leadership Standards
Questionnaire (HSDLSQ). The reliability coefficients ranged from α = 0.85 to 0.91 across
five domains: visionary leadership, digital learning culture, professional development,
systemic improvement, and digital citizenship. Descriptive statistics (percentages, mean,
and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test) were used for analysis
at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that high school leaders possess the
skills to meet the ISTE-A digital leadership standards set by the International Society for
Technology in Education (ISTE). Female leaders exhibited slightly higher digital skills than
males, though gender was insignificant in meeting the ISTE-A standards overall. The study
underscores the importance of digital leadership in school management, offering practical
implications for leadership practices, policy decisions, and future research. Although
the ISTE-A standards are met, the emphasis on systemic improvement highlights how
Nigerian principals adapt strategies to local resource constraints, differing from hightech
education systems. Recommendations include promoting the ISTE-A standards
among school leaders, investing in digital leadership training, fostering digital literacy,
and supporting adaptability to technological changes to advance digital transformation
in education.