The Idealized Influence of School Principals on Teachers' ICT Integration in Classroom Practice in Kakamega Public Secondary Schools in Kenya.

Abstract

Although Transformational Leadership has received significant scholarly attention over the past four decades, limited research has examined its individual dimensions in depth, particularly idealized influence. This study investigates the role of idealized influence—a core component of transformational leadership—in shaping the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in public secondary schools in Kenya. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the research involved 62 school principals selected through census, along with 186 teachers and 372 students chosen via simple random sampling. Data collection methods included the MLQ-structured questionnaire, interviews, document reviews, and checklists. Descriptive statistics were used to outline trends and variable states, while regression analysis provided insights into the relationships between variables. The findings revealed a moderately strong positive correlation between ICT usage in schools and idealized influence (r = 0.557, p < 0.001). Principals who demonstrated ethical leadership, earned trust, and articulated a compelling vision were more successful in promoting ICT adoption. These results highlight the need to strengthen this leadership attribute through targeted training. The study recommends that educational authorities implement professional development programs to enhance principals’ idealized influence capabilities, thereby supporting more effective ICT integration. It also lays the groundwork for future studies to examine how other aspects of transformational leadership, in combination with contextual factors, influence technology use in education.