A Content Validity Study of the Middle Leader Digital Leadership Instrument in Malaysia Primary Schools
Kesahan Kandungan Instrumen Kepimpinan Digital Pemimpin Pertengahan di Sekolah Rendah Malaysia.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/mrj.vol15.1.7.2026Keywords:
Digital Leadership, Middle Leaders, Content Validity, Instrument Development, Primary Education, Quality EducationAbstract
This study evaluated the content validity of the newly developed Middle Leader Digital Leadership instrument, which was designed to measure seven dimensions of digital leadership among middle leaders in Malaysian primary schools. Quantitative content validity design was employed, and seven experts in educational technology, curriculum design, educational leadership, and psychometrics were selected through purposive sampling. The experts independently reviewed 35 items for relevance, clarity, and construct alignment using a four-point rating scale. The Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) ranged from 0.71 to 1.00, while the Scale-Level Content Validity Index based on average agreement (S-CVI/Ave) was high across all seven dimensions (0.94-0.97). Modified kappa statistics further indicated substantial to perfect expert agreement for most items, although one item in the Vision and Goal Setting dimension required revision due to low chance-corrected agreement. Overall, the findings provide strong preliminary evidence that the instrument is content-valid and contextually appropriate for assessing middle leaders' digital leadership competencies in Malaysian primary schools. The instrument may support self-assessment, targeted professional development, policy implementation, and school-level digital transformation planning. However, the study is limited to expert-based content validation. Future research should conduct pilot testing, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability testing, and assessments of convergent and discriminant validity using a larger sample of middle leaders.
Downloads
References
Affan, M. (2024). Requirements for digital leadership implementation in Indonesia. Journal of Educational and Human Sciences, 33. https://doi.org/10.33193/jeahs.33.2024.464
Avolio, B. J., Sosik, J. J., Kahai, S. S., & Baker, B. (2014). E-leadership: re-examining transformations in leadership source and transmission. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 105–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.003
Babalola, F. I., Oriji, O., Oladayo, G. O., Abitoye, O., & Daraojimba, C. (2023). Integrating ethics and professionalism in accounting education for secondary school students. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 5(12), 863-878. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v5i12.622
Bhandari, S., Bennett, S., & Peters, D. H. (2025). Development and validation of a tool to assess core competencies of public health professionals in low-income settings: findings from Uttar Pradesh, India. Human Resources for Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-025-00994-5
Danneels, E. (2016). Survey measures of first‐ and second‐order competences. Strategic Management Journal, 37(10), 2174-2188. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2428
Delhouma, B. (2025). Middle management’s strategic importance in driving digital transformation: a literature review. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(11), 1532–1542. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.91100122
Farhan, B. Y. (2024). Visionary leadership and innovative mindset for sustainable business development: Case studies and practical applications. Research in Globalization, 8(1), 100219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2024.100219
Fourie, L., & Naidoo, P. (2022). Middle leaders and managers’ perspectives of distributive leadership during COVID-19. Perspectives in Education, 40(4), 276-295. https://doi.org/10.38140/pie.v40i4.6583
Frischherz, B., & Millar, G. (2024). Digital ethics: a teaching handbook. https://doi.org/10.58863/20.500.12424/4306851
Fu, W. H., & Satrianawati, S. (2022). Pedagogy teachers’ competence establishes students’ digital ethics: case of educational modernization in Indonesia. International Journal on Education Insight, 3(1), 19-40. https://doi.org/10.12928/ijei.v3i1.6120
Gear, R. C., & Sood, K. (2021). School middle leaders and change management: do they need to be more on the “balcony” than the dance floor?. Education Sciences, 11(11), 753. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11110753
Gillern, S. V., Rose, C. A., & Hutchison, A. (2024). How students can be effective citizens in the digital age: establishing the teachers' perceptions on digital citizenship scale. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55(5), 2093-2109. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13434
Grootenboer, P., & Larkin, K. (2019). Middle leading small-scale school projects. International Journal of Educational Management, 33(7), 1733-1745. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijem-12-2018-0407
Harmanto, H., Ghofur, M. A., Sukardani, P. S., Prahanı, B. K., & Saphıra, H. V. (2022). Exploring digital citizenship awareness among middle school students in Surabaya: an empirical study on current perspectives and educational implications. International Journal of Emerging Research and Review, 1(4), 000050. https://doi.org/10.56707/ijoerar.v1i4.50
Henderikx, M., & Stoffers, J. (2023). Digital transformation and middle managers’ leadership skills and behavior: a group concept mapping approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1147002
Hong, C. (2024). The ethical challenges of educational artificial intelligence and coping measures: a discussion in the context of the 2024 World Digital Education Conference. Science Insights Education Frontiers, 20(2), 3263-3281. https://doi.org/10.15354/sief.24.re339
International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE standards for educators. ISTE. https://iste.org/standards
Isdendi, R. R., Nanda, I., & Suganda, M. W. (2023). The role of Indonesia’s digital citizenship generation in the realization of ethics in cyberspace. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 514-525. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-096-1_57
Kalir, J., & Dillon, J. (2019). Educators discussing ethics, equity, and literacy through collaborative annotation. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/6x7h5
Kim, S. (2026). Digital leadership and communication: strategies to foster trust and inclusion in the era of digitalization. Translational Systems Sciences, 101–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-0622-4_6
Kislov, R., Bresnen, M., & Harvey, G. (2024). Getting your message across? the evolution of leader vision and managed pluralisation of leadership. Human Relations, 78(9), 1163-1191. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267241301720
Komalasari, K., & Anggraini, D. N. (2020). Civic education for development of digital citizenship in the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0. Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Civic Education Conference (ACEC 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200320.030
Kusuma, E. A., & Wicaksono, W. (2024). The ethical perspective of digital-technology-driven economic disruption. International Conference of Business and Social Sciences, 958-973. https://doi.org/10.24034/icobuss.v4i1.580
Kwiotkowska, A., Gajdzik, B., Wolniak, R., Vveinhardt, J., & Gebczynska, M. (2021). Leadership competencies in making Industry 4.0 effective: the case of polish heat and power industry. Energies, 14(14), 4338. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14144338.
Lee, J., & Jung, S. Y. (2025). Digital leadership scale for clinical nurses (dls-cn): development and validation of instrument (preprint). https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.82101
Liang, Z., & Kakemam, E. (2025). Identifying competency development needs of hospital managers in Iran: a national survey. BMC Medical Education, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06721-x
Liu, X. (2023). The role of middle-level leaders in improving schooling. Journal of Educational Research Progress, 3(1), 64-75. https://doi.org/10.55375/joerp.2023.3.8
Lynn, M. R. (1986). Determination and quantification of content validity. Nursing Research, 35(6), 382–385. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-198611000-00017
Mashudi, I., Darman, D., & Djafri, N. (2025). Developing an instrument to measure students’ technopreneurship skill levels in starting new businesses using the Rasch model. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(7), 136-144. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v8i7.10408
Matusevych, T., & Zadorozhna, O. (2023). Innovative approaches in citizenship education research: conceptual perspectives and ethical cautions. Studia Warmińskie, 60, 93-103. https://doi.org/10.31648/sw.9566
McPherson, A., Forster, D. J., & Buchanan, R. (2019). Situated cases of ethical tensions when working with children and young people in educational contexts. Global Studies of Childhood, 9(2), 103-108. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043610619845735
Ming, G. K., & Mansor, M. (2024). Unpacking the realities of digital leadership among school leaders: a quantitative study. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 9(4), e002801. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v9i4.2801
Nguyen, N. P., Hang, N. T. T., Hiep, N., & Flynn, O. (2023). Does transformational leadership influence organisational culture and organisational performance: empirical evidence from an emerging country. IIMB Management Review, 35(4), 382–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iimb.2023.10.001
Nobile, J. D., Lipscombe, K., Tindall‐Ford, S., & Grice, C. (2024). Investigating the roles of middle leaders in New South Wales public schools: factor analyses of the middle leadership roles questionnaire. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 54(1), 46-70. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432241231871
Ott, T., & Tiozzo, M. (2022). Digital media ethics. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 14(2), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijmbl.304459
Paine, J. W., Byron, K., & Higgins, E. T. (2023). Does the vision fit? how change context construal and followers’ regulatory focus influence responses to leader change visions. The Leadership Quarterly, 35(2), 101718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2023.101718
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2006). The content validity index: Are you sure you know what’s being reported? Research in Nursing & Health, 29(5), 489–497. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20147
Polit, D. F., Beck, C. T., & Owen, S. V. (2007). Is the CVI an acceptable indicator of content validity? Appraisal and recommendations. Research in Nursing & Health, 30(4), 459–467. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20199
Rakovic, L., Maric, S., Milutinovic, L. D., Vukovic, V., & Bjekic, R. (2024). The role of leadership in managing digital transformation: a systematic literature review. E+M Ekonomie a Management, 27(2), 87–107. https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/001/2024-2-006
Ramli, N., Alias, R., & Alias, N. A. (2023). Impediments and enablers to implement digital learning: a focus group discussion of Malaysian school educational technology leaders in the wake of COVID-19. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarafms/v13-i2/18198
Redecker, C. (2017). European framework for the digital competence of educators: Digcompedu. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/159770
Richardson, J. W. (2021). Guest editorial. Journal of Educational Administration, 59(3), 253–255. https://doi.org/10.1108/jea-06-2021-261
Sacavém, A., de Bem Machado, A., dos Santos, J. R., Palma-Moreira, A., Belchior-Rocha, H., & Au-Yong-Oliveira, M. (2025). Leading in the digital age: the role of leadership in organizational digital transformation. Administrative Sciences, 15(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15020043
Samad, N., Noor, M. A. M., & Mansor, M. (2023). The importance of self-emotional competency model for middle school leaders in the era of Society 5.0: a pilot study. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counseling, 8(52), 231-243. https://doi.org/10.35631/ijepc.852019
Sari, H. B., Ningsih, N. M. A. P. C., Kristina, N. M. Y., Rismayanti, N. P. I., Thalib, E. F., Meinarni, N. P. S., & Julianti, L. (2024). Digital ethics and citizenship challenges in cyberspace: an overview from perspective morals and laws. NOTARIIL Jurnal Kenotariatan, 9(1), 33-39. https://doi.org/10.22225/jn.9.1.2024.33-39
Sheninger, E. (2019). Digital leadership: changing paradigms for changing times (2nd ed.). Corwin Press.
Tagscherer, F., & Carbon, C.-C. (2023). Leadership for successful digitalization: a literature review on companies’ internal and external aspects of digitalization. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship, 2(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stae.2023.100039
Tigre, F. B., Henriques, P. L., & Curado, C. (2024). The digital leadership emerging construct: a multi-method approach. Management Review Quarterly, 75, 789–836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-023-00395-9
UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report, 2023: technology in education: a tool on whose terms? Unesco.org; UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000385723
Utami, K., Apriliya, S., & Saputra, E. R. (2022). The urgency of digital literacy and ethics for parents in educating children in the digital age. Jurnal Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian Dan Kajian Kepustakaan Di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran Dan Pembelajaran, 8(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v8i1.4605
Vahidi, M., Areshtanab, H. N., & Bostanabad, M. A. (2016). The relationship between emotional intelligence and perception of job performance among nurses in North West of Iran. Scientifica, 2016, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/9547038
Wulandari, E., Winarno, W., & Triyanto, T. (2021). Digital citizenship education: shaping digital ethics in society 5.0. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 9(5), 948-956. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2021.090507
Yasin, Z. M. (2024). A comprehensive review of research on head of panel leadership in Malaysian primary schools. Journal of Social Research and Behavioral Sciences, 10(22), 107-126. https://doi.org/10.52096/jsrbs.10.22.07
Yip, J., Lee, K. C. S., & Beh, W. F. (2025). Impact of middle leaders’ competencies on teachers’ technology acceptance in Malaysian TS25 schools. PLOS One, 20(9), e0332614. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0332614
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Goh Kok Ming
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
