Status of Meeting the Competency Framework by Principals of Vietnam Primary Schools in the Context of Digital Transformation

Abstract

Digital transformation in education has created new demands for primary school principals, requiring them not only to effectively utilize technology but also to innovate managerial thinking and instructional organization. This study aims to propose and examine the level of fulfillment of a competency framework for primary school principals in the context of digital transformation. A total of 522 principals in Ho Chi Minh City were surveyed using a questionnaire measuring six competency domains on a five-point Likert scale. The findings indicate that the overall level of competency fulfillment remains at a moderate level. Among the competency domains, professional development, the establishment of a safe and positive educational environment, and the development of school–family–community relationships were rated more highly. In contrast, competencies related to school governance, foreign language proficiency, information technology application, and especially digital transformation leadership received lower scores, reflecting a gap between policy expectations and the actual capacities of school principals. Based on these findings, the study proposes six corresponding groups of professional development solutions, emphasizing data-driven governance, digital competency enhancement, and digital transformation leadership capacity, thereby contributing to improving the quality of primary school governance and supporting the implementation of general education reform.