Designing and Validating the Competency Model of Smart School Principals

The rapid development of information technology, along with other factors such as the transformation of the industrial society into information, demographic change, the globalization of professional activities, the expansion of market forces in the field of education and in other words the commercialization of education, have all had dramatic effects on education. . Accordingly, today the most important concern of a country's education system is to create a suitable environment for the growth and excellence of intellectual capital in information and knowledge-based societies. Achieving this requires a redefinition of the role and function of schools and the entry of modern technologies into the field of educational institutions (Zamani, 2009). Today, the country's education system needs a school that uses information and communication technology to enable continuous learning and provide new opportunities for people to experience life in the information society, so that this technology is not as a tool, but in the form of Empower the infrastructure for vocational education and training. The widespread use of information and communication technology in the process of education, along with the evolution of educational approaches in the world, has provided the ground for the formation of smart schools, these schools are among the key needs of student-based communities and approaches to develop students' knowledge skills and entrepreneurship. (Mosazadeh, 2019).       
The method of the present study is mixed, which has been done in two stages, qualitatively and quantitatively. The statistical population of the present study in the qualitative section included all university professors related to smart schools (member of the Smart Schools Council), specialists in technology, experts in education departments and smart school principals. 22 smart school principals and educational technology experts from 6 provinces of Kermanshah, Ilam, Qazvin, Bandar Abbas, Hamedan and Fars were randomly selected. In a small part of the cluster random sampling method, based on Cochran's formula, 386 questionnaires were used. In this study, data collection tools were theoretical background, interview and documentary observation. In the first stage of this method, the data theory of the foundation is used as a qualitative approach; Therefore, in this study, in order to identify qualitative characteristics through interviews and all the factors affecting the competencies of smart school principals, in the opinion of experts, as well as searching in specialized books, Internet, related magazines and articles, dissertations and other books and research; Was used. Strauss and Corbin method coding method was used to analyze the qualitative data. The research findings in the qualitative section showed that in the open coding section, they identify the concepts and expand them according to their characteristics and dimensions. From the raw raw data, the basic categories related to the studied phenomenon are extracted by segmenting the information, forming categories of information about the studied phenomenon, asking about the data, comparing cases, events and other cases of phenomena to gain similarities and differences. The results of open coding of data collected using interview tools were observed that 62 open codes out of 370 concepts were identified. In the axial coding stage, the researcher puts one of the categories at the center of the process under study and exploration (the main phenomenon) and then relates the other categories to it. These categories are: causal conditions (justifiable causes of the main phenomenon), strategies (interactions performed to control, manage, deal with and respond to the main phenomenon), context (specific bedrock conditions affecting strategies), intervening conditions (general bedding conditions). Effective in strategies (and consequences) (guidance in applying strategies). In the axial coding process, aggregate coding was used. In the axial coding section, 62 initial codes were identified. In the section of selective coding, the researcher, relying on the internal relations of the categories extracted from the axial coding model, writes his research theory by writing a narrative of the relationship between the categories and according to personal technical notes. At this stage, the researcher provides a theoretical explanation of the process under study. The researcher can complete the systematic design by stating propositions; Therefore, in this stage, 15 categories including values ​​and attitudes of principals and staff, evaluation, supervision and control, principal knowledge competence, general competencies of smart school principals, professional competencies of principals, school infrastructure conditions, social and cultural factors, economic factors, religious factors, management Resources and training, skills and abilities of the secretary, skills and abilities of the principal, cooperation and partnership with staff and organization, school intelligence, personality traits were identified.
In this study, for designing and validating the competency model of smart school principals, based on interviews with experts, models and related variables have been identified. Finally, based on the final criteria identified, the model derived from the data theory theory method is presented. The results showed that the results of open coding of qualitative data collected using the interview tool, it was observed that 62 open codes out of 370 concepts were identified. In the next step, in the axial coding section, 62 primary codes and in the selective coding section, 15 categories are categorized as follows: Values ​​and attitudes of principals and staff, evaluation, supervision and control, principal knowledge competence, general competencies of smart school principals, principals' professional competencies, school infrastructure conditions, social and cultural factors, economic factors, religious factors, resource and educational management, skills and competencies Secretary, skills and abilities of the principal, cooperation and partnership with staff and organization, school intelligence, personality traits. The category of professional competencies of principals is in the first place and was selected as the most important competence of smart school principals according to experts and experts. Managers with higher education and appropriate management expertise can be very successful in managing smart schools. Organizing and coordinating is one of the most important professional competencies of principals in such schools, and if principals have the power to organize and coordinate matters, especially the academic guidance of students, they can be very suitable for managing smart schools. Mastery of software and hardware systems are other professional skills of managers. Having a certificate of competency and professional competence of principals, especially passing specialized courses in management and leadership and familiarity with how to run smart schools are other effective factors in determining the competence and selection of principals.