Role of Digital Tools and Administrative Efficiency in Basic Education: A Basis for Tech-Driven Administrative Optimization Training Plan
Mary Rose Presbitero | Daisy Obiso
Discipline: Education
Abstract:
This study examined the correlation between digital tool usage and administrative efficiency among administrators
and teachers using a convergent parallel design. Quantitative analysis through multiple and multivariate multiple
regression revealed significant models: digital tool usage explained 41.2% of the variance (Adjusted R² = .389), and
administrative efficiency explained 39.6% (Adjusted R² = .373). Combined analysis indicated predictors significantly
accounted for variance across both outcomes, Wilks’ Λ = 0.672, F(10, 226) = 4.94, p < .001, partial η² = .179. Among
demographics, Position/Rank, Years of Experience, and Training Attended emerged as significant factors. Even when
controlling for these, strong correlations persisted: digital tool usage (p = .001), administrative efficiency (p = .001),
and group membership effects (p = .001), leading to the rejection of HO1, HO2, and HO3. Qualitative content analysis
highlighted both enabling and constraining factors, including: Infrastructure and Access; Training and Digital
Literacy; Perceived Usefulness; Time and Workload; Resistance and Attitudes; Demographics and Adoption; Training
as a Mediator; Reliability and Motivation; Role-Specific Tool Relevance; and Feedback Loop. Triangulation through
meta-inference confirmed parallel relationships across quantitative and qualitative findings, underscoring the central
role of digital tools in shaping efficiency outcomes. It recommends developing and implementing a Tech-Driven
Administrative Optimization Training Plan to address skill gaps, strengthen digital literacy, and institutionalize the
effective use of technology in school management.
References:
- Abdul Rauf, A., Mahmud, R., & Nor, M. Z. (2023). Performance expectancy and digital adoption in public education institutions. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 26(1), 18–29.
- Adiele, E. E., & Etamesor, U. M. (2024). Digitalizing the management of primary education for efficiency in school administration. https://journals.aemapp.org/index.php/JAEMAPP/article/view/307
- Agarwal, V., Verma, P., & Ferrigno, G. (2025). Education 5.0 challenges and sustainable development goals in emerging economies: A mixed method approach. Technology in Society, 81, 102814.
- Ahmad, M., & Wilkins, S. (2024). Purposive sampling in qualitative research: a framework for the entire journey. Quality & Quantity, 59(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-024-02022-5
- Ali, S., & Arshad, M. (2021). School leaders’ acceptance of digital technologies: Application of UTAUT model.Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(6), 870–887.
- Atief Aisyil Wi’am, Nurul Yaqien, & Teguh Triwiyanto. (2024). The management role of school administrative personnel in improving operational efficiency. Proceedings Series of Educational Studies, 0(4), 79–85. https://conference.um.ac.id/index.php/pses/article/view/9490
- Awamrah, A., & Rania Sawalhi. (2025). Digital School Leadership in Jordanian Public Schools. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2025.2549332
- Badawy, I., Al, M., Asma, Saad, & Katheeri, A. (2024). Transforming Education Through Technology and School Leadership. Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design Book Series, 182–194. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0880-6.ch013
- Bans-Akutey, A., & Tiimub, B. M. (2021). Triangulation in research. Academia Letters, 2(3392). https://doi.org/10.20935/al3392
- Bantaculo, D. (2024). Enhancing administrative efficiency: A study on utilization of ICT in school offices. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2024(10), 1103–1112. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14064352
- Barrot, J. S., Llenares, I. I., & del Rosario, L. S. (2021). Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case of the Philippines. Education and Information Technologies, 26(7321–7338). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x
- Bautista, A. G., Castillo, M. L., & Reyes, D. P. (2022). Digital transformation in Philippine schools: Opportunities and challenges. Asia Pacific Education Review, 23(2), 233–245.
- Besekar, S., Jogdand, S., & Naqvi, W. (2024, May 7). Exploring sample size determination in educational research: A comprehensive review. F1000Research. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.141173.3
- Bhandari, P. (2021, March 1). Control variables | What are they and why do they matter? Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/control-variable/
- Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning
- Department of Education. (2023). DepEd Order No. 016, s. 2023: Revised guidelines on the implementation of the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP).
- Fatoni, M. H., Fatimah, M., Santoso, B., & Syarifuddin, H. (2024). The Role Of School Administration In Improving Operational Effectiveness And Quality Of Education. International Journal Of Educatio Elementaria And Psychologia, 1(6), 335–345.
- Field, A. P. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). Sage, Newbury Park. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenced=3504991
- Finch, W. H. (2019). Using fit statistic differences to determine the optimal number of factors to retain in an exploratory factor analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 80(2), 217–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164419865769
- Garcia, J., & de Guzman, A. (2020). User-friendliness and adoption of digital tools in basic education. Philippine Journal of Educational Measurement, 8(2), 45–58.
- Himang, C. M., Cernias III, R., Corbes, R. U., Alicer, M. J. M., Colobong, B., Olarte, J. M., Ocampo, L., Bongo, M. F., & Ancheta Jr., R. (2023). Modelling the utilization of digital technology in education during the COVID-19 pandemic through an expert-based analytic tool. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 19(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJICTE.326053
- Jabr, F. (2023). John A. Long – Publications list. Publicationslist.org, 14(6).
- Jones, L., & Kennedy, E. (2022). Effective Technology Tools for School Leadership. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003269472
- Jung, J., Choi, S., & Fanguy, M. (2024). Exploring teachers’ digital literacy experiences. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 25(2), 41–59. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v25i2.7572
- Kimmons, R., Miller, B. G., Amador, J., Desjardins, C. D., & Hall, C. (2020). Technology integration coursework and finding meaning in pre-service teachers’ reflective practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 87, 102949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102949
- König, J., Jäger-Biela, D. J., & Glutsch, N. (2020). Adapting to online teaching during COVID-19 school closure:
- Krisada Prachumrasee, Panpun Ronghanam, Kasipat Thonmanee, Pakpoom Phonsungnoen, Pathompohn Mangma, Prasongchai Setthasuravich, & Grichawat Lowatcharin. (2024). From traditional to digital: Transforming local administrative organization workflows in Thailand through social listening tools. Social Sciences, 13(12), 666–666. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13120666
- Lorenzo, D. (2025). Balancing Progress to Equity: The Philippines’ K-12 Education Digitaliza-tion Transition During Post-Pandemic Recovery. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Applied Business and Education Research, 6(5), 2424–2442. https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.06.05.25
- Mahfud Heru Fatoni, Meti Fatimah, Santoso, B., & Hamid Syarifuddin. (2024). The role of school administration in improving operational effectiveness and quality of education. International Journal of Educatio Elementaria and Psychologia, 1(6), 335–345. https://doi.org/10.70177/ijeep.v1i6.1400
- ManueI, J., & Alon, R. (2024). Creating a digital culture in schools: The role of leadership in technology integration. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 12(1), 14–30. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.12257
- Murat Doğan. (2025). The Adoption Process of Blockchain Technology Among Social Media Influencers. IEEE Access, 1–1. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2025.3583547
- Official Gazette. (1987). The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.
- Ofori-Kyereh, B., & Agyei, D. D. (2022). UTAUT-based study of school administrative technology use in Ghana. African Journal of Educational Management, 20(3), 101–117.
- Pahayahay, A. (2025). Enhancing collaboration through Google Workspace: Assessing and strengthening current practices. ArXiv.org. https://doi.org/10.25147/ijcsr.2017.001.1.235
- Pitogo, N. S. (2024). Enhancing Administrative Efficiency Through the DepEd Caraga Regional Office Information Systems Portal. International Journal of Computing Sciences Research, 8, 2822–2840. https://stepacademic.net/ijcsr/article/view/517
- Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/productfiles/Effective_Teacher_Professional_Development_REPORT.pdf
- Polinio, K. V. L. S., Los Baños, Q. D., Pugoy, R. A., & Paglinawan, J. L. (2023). Digital transformation on administrative efficiency in public schools. Central Mindanao University.
- Rasheed, R. A., Kamsin, A., & Abdullah, N. A. (2020). Challenges in the online component of blended learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 144(1), 103701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103701
- Rodriguez, M. R. G. (2021). Technology leadership: Assessing the competency level of high school administrators and teachers in the use of ICTs. Journal of Educational Management & Social Sciences, 1(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.48112/jemss.v1i1.227
- Scherer, R., Siddiq, F., & Tondeur, J. (2019). The technology acceptance model (TAM): A meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach to explaining teachers’ adoption of digital technology in education. Computers & Education, 128(1), 13–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.09.009
- Smith, J. A. (2024). Qualitative Psychology : A Practical Guide to Research Methods. Www.torrossa.com, 1–100. https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/5730629
- Smith, J., & Johnson, R. (2023). Systematic review ondigital transformation among teachers in publicschools. Journal of Educational Technology, 6(3), 45-58
- Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson. https://scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=3132273
- Teacher education and teacher competence effects among early career teachers in Germany. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1809650
- Tondeur, J., Aesaert, K., Prestridge, S., & Consuegra, E. (2018). A multilevel analysis of what matters in the training of pre-service teacher’s ICT competencies. Computers & Education, 122, 32–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.03.002
- Trust, T., & Whalen, J. (2020). Should teachers be trained in emergency remote teaching? Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 28(2), 189–199. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342513144_Should_Teachers_be_Trained_in_Emergency_Remote_Teaching_Lessons_Learned_from_the_COVID-19_Pandemic
- Turel, O., & Gaudioso, F. (2018). Techno-stressors, distress and strain: The roles of leadership and competitive climates. Cognition, Technology & Work, 20(2), 309–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-018-0461-7
- UNESCO. (2022). Bridging the digital divide and ensuring online protection. Unesco.org. https://www.unesco.org/en/right-education/digitalization
- Van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Dijk, J. A. G. M., & de Haan, J. (2019). Determinants of 21st-century digital skills: A large-scale survey among working professionals. Computers in Human Behavior, 100, 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.06.017
- Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540.
- Zhong, L. (2017). Indicators of digital leadership in the context of K–12 education. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.18785/jetde.1001.03