Impact of High School Directors’ Digital Leadership Practices on Teachers’ Self-Efficacy: A Case Study in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

  • Seila Kim Preah Sihanomoniraja Buddhist University, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Sarom Mok Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Sothea Lim Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Sereyrath Em The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6803-195X
Keywords: Digital Leadership, High School Directors, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Quantitative Survey, Teachers’ Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: This study aims to investigate the impact of high school directors’ digital leadership practices on teachers’ self-efficacy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Methodology: This study employed a quantitative survey design, utilizing an online questionnaire. The sample included 300 teachers from 30 high schools in Phnom Penh City. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS version 30, employing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods to answer the research questions.

Main Findings: Findings show that both high school directors’ digital leadership practices and teachers’ self-efficacy, overall and by dimensions, were at high levels. A weak but significant positive correlation was found between digital leadership practices and teachers’ self-efficacy. The results also suggest that strengthening digital leadership can indirectly enhance teaching standards by boosting teachers’ self-efficacy.

Novelty/Originality of this Study: This study contributes new knowledge by empirically linking digital leadership practices of school directors with teachers’ self-efficacy in Cambodia’s secondary education sector. It advances existing research by highlighting the contextual role of digital leadership in improving teacher capacity, offering practical insights for policymakers and school leaders to develop targeted leadership and training programs.

Author Biography

Sereyrath Em, The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Dr. Sereyrath Em is a Cambodian government teacher of English with a higher education degree, a visiting lecturer at the National University of Cheasim Kamchaymear (NUCK) and some other universities, and an Editor at the Cambodian Journal of Educational Research (CJER). He is also the founder and the Editor-in-Chief of the Cambodian Journal of Educational and Social Sciences (CJESS). Prior to this, he was a secondary school teacher of English and Khmer languages. In 2017, he graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA in TESOL) from Human Resource University (HRU), and in 2019, he graduated with a Master of Education in Educational Administration from the National Institute of Education (NIE) with the support from Cambodia International Education Support Foundation (CIESF), and he earned his MBA from the National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (NIEI) in 2023. Then in late 2023, he earned his Ph.D. in Educational Science from Khemarak University, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. From 2020 until now, he has studied and become a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Administration at the University of Cambodia too. He was also trained at the Regional Language Center (RELC) two times between early 2020 and early 2021 concerning teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing. He also attended a seminar on Green Energy Development for Cambodia in Beijing, China in September 2024. His research interests include English language teaching, teaching methodology, educational management and science, educational leadership, learning and teaching motivation, and learning and teaching challenges. Currently, he is also a Ph.D. candidate specializing in Cooperative Education at the Institute of Social Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand.

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Published
2025-11-15
How to Cite
[1]
S. Kim, S. Mok, S. Lim, and S. Em, “Impact of High School Directors’ Digital Leadership Practices on Teachers’ Self-Efficacy: A Case Study in Phnom Penh, Cambodia”, Jo. Soc. Know. Ed, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 450-458, Nov. 2025.
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Articles