Rethinking School Leadership in the Digital Age: Exploring the Relevance of E-Leadership in Maltese Physical Schools

Abstract Book of the 2nd International Academic Conference on Teaching and Education

Year: 2025

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Rethinking School Leadership in the Digital Age: Exploring the Relevance of E-Leadership in Maltese Physical Schools

Dr. Salvina Zammit Pulo

ABSTRACT:

This paper explores the concept of e-leadership and its relevance to physical school settings by exploring and examining the lived digital experiences of Maltese headteachers in state middle and secondary schools. While most existing research focuses on educational or emotional leadership, this study addresses the underexplored area of technology-mediated leadership—e-leadership of school leadership through the lens of digital tool usage. Through qualitative interviews with 18 headteachers, the study examines how digital tools are predominantly utilised for administrative and managerial functions including communication, data management, and school improvement planning. Yet with limited integration into pedagogical leadership or vision setting.
Findings reveal that while digital tools enhance efficiency, they also contribute to work intensification, and blurred boundaries contributing to a growing sense of depersonalisation in school environments. Furthermore, while technology is frequently employed for administrative coordination, its use in strategic visioning and pedagogical leadership remains inconsistent. The study offers a new, context-sensitive definition of e-leadership in schools and highlights the necessity of a blended leadership approach that integrates both digital and human interaction. Implications are drawn for policy, practice, and further research, advocating for a more intentional and inclusive adoption of digital tools that support not just management but also sustainable and empathetic school leadership.

Keywords: digital tools, digital policy, e-leadership, headteachers, Malta, school leadership, work intensification