Managing training and self-training activities for high school principals in the Mekong delta region in the context of digital transformation

Abstract

In the context of digital transformation taking place strongly around the world, the Vietnamese education sector in general and the Mekong Delta region in particular are facing an urgent need to innovate management work, especially in the field of developing school management staff. Principals, with a central role in orienting, organizing and implementing educational activities, need to be systematically trained and self-trained to meet the requirements of digital transformation. This article focuses on studying the current situation and proposing solutions to manage training and self-training activities for high school principals in the Mekong Delta region. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining a quantitative survey of 115 managers (principals, vice-principals, and heads of professional groups) with in-depth interviews of 12 education managers from high schools in three provinces (city): Can Tho, Vinh Long, and Dong Thap. The results showed that the management of training and self-training activities lacked a clear strategy, was not closely linked to the requirements of improving digital capacity, and did not effectively promote the self-learning role of the principal team. The article proposes an integrated management model that applies digital technology, builds a digital transformation capacity framework for principals and establishes appropriate support policies to improve the quality of school leadership in the digital age.