Effective principal leadership influencing technology innovation in the classroom

This paper reports on the implementation of a humanoid robot in five school settings and evaluates the success of the implementation based on the leadership of the school principal. As part of a wider three-year multiple case study research study that investigated the use of humanoid robots in different school settings, a robot was placed in the five selected schools for a fixed period of time to see how the technology was used and how the principal’s leadership impacted on the implementation in the classroom. Multiple case study design approach allowed for exploration of the use of humanoid robots in each setting as well as a comparison between the settings. Teachers planned lessons incorporating the unfamiliar technology and used the humanoid robot as a tool to make their classes more engaging, relevant, and authentic for their students. The findings of this study highlight that principals who were invested in the implementation of the humanoid robot in the classroom, fostered a positive learning community, and were directly supporting and encouraging of their teachers; led their team to a successful implementation of the new technology in their school.