Bridging the Teacher Digital Efficacy Gap: The Role of School Administrators’ Digital Leadership in Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

The rapid digital transformation of education has expanded the need for effective leadership that empowers teachers to integrate technology meaningfully into their practice. While digital leadership is increasingly recognised as essential, limited research has explored its role in enhancing teachers’ digital self-efficacy, particularly in developing contexts with uneven digital transformation. This study addresses this gap by examining how school administrators’ digital leadership influences teachers’ confidence and competencies in Sarawak, Malaysia. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, the study employed a phenomenological design using Focus Group Discussions with six teachers from diverse school settings. Thematic analysis revealed that administrators’ digital leadership practices enhanced five key areas of teacher competence: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, digital safety and responsible online behaviour, and problem-solving through training and peer collaboration. Findings demonstrate that school administrators act as facilitators of mastery experiences, social persuasion, and vicarious learning, all of which strengthen teachers’ digital self-efficacy. Beyond the Malaysian context, the study contributes to global debates on digital leadership in education by positioning school administrators as important agents in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education) through digital transformation. The study concludes that effective digital leadership not only cultivates supportive environments for teachers but also enables schools to adapt to the demands of 21st-century education. Future research should adopt mixed-methods, longitudinal, and cross-national designs to capture sustained impacts and advance the theoretical understanding of digital leadership in diverse educational systems.