Developing Secondary School Principals Based on a Job Position Approach: Theoretical Framework, Current Situation, and Solutions ()
1. Introduction
Internationally, a solid theoretical foundation has been established regarding the development of school principals, particularly emphasizing the role of leadership in educational innovation. Reviews of leadership models [1] and system-wide analyses such as the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2023 highlight that digital transformation in education requires both strategic vision and effective data governance. However, these studies mainly focus on advanced systems, leaving unanswered questions about practical frameworks for schools in resource-constrained contexts [2].
Recent peer-reviewed studies provide evidence of the role of digital leadership in such disadvantaged environments. Reference [3] examined the impact of principals’ digital leadership on teachers’ technology integration during COVID-19, showing that leadership competencies were critical even when infrastructure was limited. Reference [4] presented a leadership development intervention for principals in rural Mexican schools, demonstrating that capacity-building can enhance digital governance despite contextual barriers. Reference [5] analyzed challenges of technology integration in rural schools, finding that lack of infrastructure, limited digital skills, and professional isolation remain major constraints. These studies confirm the urgent need for contextualized leadership frameworks tailored to schools with limited resources.
Meanwhile, organizations such as [6] and [7] have emphasized the potential of AI and digital tools to reduce administrative workloads and optimize management. Yet, these insights are mostly derived from developed contexts, with little direct adaptation for disadvantaged regions.
In Vietnam, research has mainly focused on digital transformation at the higher education or system level. Studies on education management [8] [9] emphasized strategic leadership and job-position frameworks but did not integrate digitalization or AI. References [10] [11] analyzed digital transformation in education, but primarily from a macro perspective. Thus, there remains a lack of a competency-based framework for lower secondary school principals in the North Central region that integrates digital leadership and AI applications.
Synthesizing international and domestic studies [1] [3]-[7] [10] [12] reveals that while theoretical models and policy-level frameworks exist, practical research on digital leadership for principals in disadvantaged contexts remains limited. This study therefore aims to develop a job-position framework for lower secondary school principals in Vietnam’s North Central region, integrating digital competencies, simple AI tools (e.g., chatbots, Power BI dashboards), and the PDCA-OODA cycle, in alignment with Resolution 57-NQ/TW (2024) and post-COVID-19 educational challenges.
The dual model of PDCA-OODA combines the Deming cycle of continuous improvement (Plan-Do-Check-Act) with Boyd’s Observe-Orient-Decide-Act loop, originally developed for adaptive decision-making in complex environments [13] [14]. In this study, the integration of both models supports systematic planning while maintaining flexibility in crisis contexts.
2. Job Position and Competency Framework of Secondary School Principals
According to Circular 14/2018/TT-BGDĐT, the job position of lower secondary school principals encompasses a set of tasks and responsibilities associated with the position, which have been expanded in the context of the 2018 General Education Curriculum reform and digital transformation. The core areas include: strategic leadership; digital governance and AI applications (LMS, chatbots, Power BI) aimed at reducing dropout rates by 5% - 7% in mountainous areas; human, financial, and facility management; building a safe and innovative educational environment; community engagement; and developing foreign language competence for international integration [2] [6].
In terms of roles, the secondary school principal is both an innovation leader, applying PDCA-OODA to ensure continuous improvement and rapid decision-making in the post-COVID-19 context, and a digital administrator utilizing AI to optimize management and reduce administrative workloads by 20% [7]. At the same time, the principal is an inspirer, a community connector, and a pioneer in international integration through foreign language competence. This role is particularly practical and suitable for the challenging conditions of the North Central region.
The functions of the principal include: 1) leadership, strategic orientation [1]; 2) governance, managing human resources, finance, and digitalization; 3) coordination, linking the Department of Education and Training with the community; and 4) capacity building, supporting teachers in developing digital and foreign language competencies. Specific tasks range from development planning using PDCA, managing online learning crises with OODA, applying AI to reduce dropout rates, to teacher training and quality evaluation based on job position criteria.
Based on the job position, the competency framework for secondary school principals has been developed with integrated competency groups and behavioral indicators, drawing upon [9] and [15].
Compared with traditional principal competency frameworks, which mainly focused on strategic leadership, human resource management, and professional development [9] [15], the framework in Table 1 introduces innovations by integrating digital competence and AI applications (LMS, chatbots, Power BI) alongside modern governance cycles such as PDCA-OODA. This approach not only aligns with the requirements of digital transformation in general education under Resolution 57-NQ/TW (2024), but also proves feasible in the specific context of the North Central region, where dropout rates in mountainous areas remain high and infrastructure is limited. Consequently, the proposed framework both inherits international theoretical foundations and incorporates practical adjustments, creating a basis for secondary school principals to exercise flexible governance and promote sustainable educational innovation.
Table 1. Competency framework for secondary school principals according to job position.
Competency Group |
Description |
Criteria |
Behavioral indicators |
1. Strategic leadership and change management |
Building vision, digital innovation |
Build a 5-year plan |
Prepare AI integration plan; make decisions based on OODA |
2. School administration |
Human resource, financial and environmental management |
Transparent and effective management |
Assign tasks; prepare financial reports |
3. Digital capabilities and AI applications |
Using LMS, AI |
Proficient in digital tools |
Using Google Classroom, chatbots, Power BI |
4. Foreign language ability |
Read international documents |
Reading comprehension, communication |
Read OECD reports; attend international conferences |
5. Professional development |
Support for teachers |
Training organization |
Quarterly workshop; creative space design |
6. Ethics and social responsibility |
Moral qualities |
Transparency and responsibility |
Organizing charity activities |
3. Current Situation of Developing Secondary School Principals in the North Central Region of Vietnam
from a Job Position Approach
3.1. Natural, Socio-Economic, and Educational Context
The North Central region of Vietnam, including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh Provinces, has complex terrain and frequent natural disasters, which significantly affect educational infrastructure and the implementation of digital transformation. The average GRDP per capita reaches only 65 million VND/year, lower than the national average, with poverty rates in mountainous areas ranging from 20% - 30%. The region has 2156 lower secondary schools, yet the proportion meeting national standards is low (45.7%), particularly in Nghe An and Ha Tinh (See Table 2 and Table 3).
Table 2. Scale of education network in North Central provinces (2023).
Province |
Number ofsecondary schools |
National standard achievement rate (%) |
Number of students (thousand) |
Number of teachers (thousand) |
Thanh Hoa |
850 |
48.5 |
350 |
18.5 |
Nghe An |
900 |
44.2 |
400 |
20.0 |
Ha Tinh |
406 |
43.8 |
180 |
9.5 |
Total |
2156 |
45.7 |
930 |
48.0 |
Table 3. National excellent student exam achievements for secondary school students (2022-2023).
Province |
Number of prizes |
Gold medal |
Silver medal |
Bronze medal |
Thanh Hoa |
35 |
10 |
15 |
10 |
Nghe An |
28 |
8 |
12 |
8 |
Ha Tinh |
22 |
6 |
10 |
6 |
3.2. Survey and Research Methods
The survey was conducted from September 2022 to June 2024 with 650 participants, including 100 principals, 100 vice principals, 400 teachers, and 50 educational administrators, distributed across Thanh Hoa (220), Nghe An (220), and Ha Tinh (210). The research tools included questionnaires (Likert scale 1 - 5), in-depth interviews with 30 participants, and analysis of activity products (50 development plans, financial reports, and training programs). Data were processed using SPSS 20.0 (t-test, ANOVA, Cohen’s d), combined with NVivo for qualitative coding.
A stratified sampling strategy was employed to ensure proportional representation of principals, vice principals, teachers, and educational administrators across the three provinces. Out of 720 distributed questionnaires, 650 valid responses were collected, yielding a response rate of 90.3%. This relatively high rate enhances the representativeness of the findings for the North Central region (See Table 4).
Table 4. Sample and survey area.
Province |
Principal |
Vice Principal |
Teacher |
Education manager |
Total |
Thanh Hoa |
35 |
35 |
135 |
15 |
220 |
Nghe An |
35 |
35 |
135 |
15 |
220 |
Ha Tinh |
30 |
30 |
130 |
20 |
210 |
Total |
100 |
100 |
400 |
50 |
650 |
Reliability testing showed acceptable to high internal consistency across the six competency groups, with Cronbach’s α ranging from 0.78 (Foreign language competence) to 0.89 (Strategic leadership and change management), exceeding the 0.70 threshold recommended by Nunnally & Bernstein (1994) [16].
3.3. Current Status of Secondary School Principals
Quantity and structure: The region has about 2000 principals, 67.7% male, with an average age of 42; 42.3% hold a master’s degree (See Table 5).
Professional qualifications: 77.7% possess educational management certificates, yet only 55% meet ICT standards and 31% meet foreign language requirements. Significant disparities exist among provinces, with Thanh Hoa performing better due to more favorable infrastructure (See Table 6).
Table 5. Quantity, gender, age, training level.
Criteria |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Total |
Quantity |
800 |
850 |
350 |
2000 |
Male (%) |
65 |
70 |
68 |
67.7 |
Female (%) |
35 |
30 |
32 |
32.3 |
Average age |
42 |
43 |
41 |
42 |
Master (%) |
45 |
40 |
42 |
42.3 |
University degree (%) |
55 |
60 |
58 |
57.7 |
Table 6. Level of political theory, educational management, information technology, foreign languages.
Criteria |
Thanh Hoa (%) |
Nghe An (%) |
Ha Tinh (%) |
Total (%) |
Political Theory (Advanced) |
30 |
25 |
28 |
27.7 |
Education Management (Certificate) |
80 |
75 |
78 |
77.7 |
Information Technology (IC3 or higher) |
60 |
55 |
50 |
55 |
Foreign Language (B1 or higher) |
35 |
30 |
28 |
31 |
3.4. Awareness and Implementation of Functions and Duties Based on Job Positions
Survey results showed principals achieved a fair level (3.15/5) in performing functions: strategic leadership (3.3), human resource management (3.2), and building an educational environment (3.4). However, digital and AI management (3.05) and foreign language use (2.95) were major weaknesses, especially in Ha Tinh. Interviews indicated that many principals had not been trained to use Power BI or chatbots to support students (See Table 7 and Table 8).
Table 7. Current status of job position awareness.
Criteria |
Average |
Standard Deviation |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Job Position Awareness |
3.25 |
0.9 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
3.15 |
The Importance of Strategic Leadership |
3.5 |
0.8 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
The Importance of Digital Governance |
3.1 |
0.9 |
3.3 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
The Importance of Foreign Languages |
3.0 |
0.9 |
3.2 |
3.0 |
2.8 |
Table 8. Current status of implementation of functions and tasks.
Function/Task |
Average |
Standard Deviation |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Strategic Leadership |
3.3 |
0.8 |
3.5 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
Digital and AI Management |
3.05 |
0.9 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
2.8 |
Human Resource Management |
3.2 |
0.7 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
Financial Management |
3.1 |
0.8 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
Building an Educational Environment |
3.4 |
0.7 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
Community Engagement |
3.3 |
0.8 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
Using Foreign Languages |
2.95 |
0.9 |
3.1 |
2.9 |
2.75 |
3.5. Competencies of Principals According to the Job Position Framework
Assessment of six competency groups revealed that strategic leadership scored highest (3.4), followed by ethics and social responsibility (3.3), and professional development (3.2). The lowest were digital competence (3.05) and foreign language competence (2.95). Significant differences were found among provinces (ANOVA, p < 0.05), with Thanh Hoa scoring higher and Ha Tinh lowest. Radar charts showed that principals only slightly outperformed teachers in strategic leadership, while digital competence was nearly the same (See Table 9).
Table 9. The current status of principal capacity.
Competency group |
Average |
Standard Deviation |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Strategic Leadership and Change Management |
3.4 |
0.7 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
School Governance |
3.2 |
0.8 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
Digital Competency and AI Applications |
3.05 |
0.8 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
2.8 |
Foreign Language Competence |
2.95 |
0.9 |
3.1 |
2.9 |
2.75 |
Professional Development Competency |
3.2 |
0.7 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
Ethical Competency and Social Responsibility |
3.3 |
0.7 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.6. Current Status of Workforce Development Based on Job Positions
Table 10. Perception of development by job position.
Criteria |
Average |
Standard Deviation |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Importance of development according to job position |
3.25 |
0.9 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
3.15 |
Development content: Job position profiles (3.1), recruitment (3.0), training (3.2), evaluation (3.15). Thanh Hoa stood out in training (3.5) but lacked AI-related content (See Table 10).
Overall results: Fair level (3.15), uneven across areas. Strengths were awareness, while weaknesses lay in digital competence (See Table 11).
Table 11. Current status of content development.
Content |
Average |
Standard Deviation |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Building a job profile |
3.1 |
0.8 |
3.2 |
2.9 |
3.1 |
Selection and appointment |
3.0 |
0.9 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
3.2 |
Training |
3.2 |
0.8 |
3.5 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
Assessment |
3.15 |
0.7 |
3.3 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
Table 12. Difficulty in performing job position.
Difficulties |
Average |
Standard Deviation |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Lack of job position framework |
3.4 |
0.9 |
3.3 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
Technology Infrastructure |
3.5 |
0.8 |
3.4 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
Lack of AI Training |
3.6 |
0.9 |
3.5 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
Lack of Foreign Language Training |
3.7 |
0.8 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
3.7. Influencing Factors
The survey indicated that the environment and policies had the greatest influence (3.4), followed by the role of the Department of Education and Training (3.3), and the principals themselves (3.1). Interviews revealed that both objective factors (weak infrastructure, natural disasters, limited budgets) and subjective factors (low lifelong learning motivation, average age of 42 slowing adaptation) strongly affected workforce development (See Table 13).
Table 13. Influence of factors.
Influencing factors |
Average |
Standard Deviation |
Thanh Hoa |
Nghe An |
Ha Tinh |
Subject (Department of Education and Training) |
3.3 |
0.7 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
Object (Principal) |
3.1 |
0.8 |
3.2 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
Environment, policy |
3.4 |
0.9 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.8. Overall Assessment
The strengths of the principal workforce lie in their basic awareness of job positions and strategic leadership competence, while their major weaknesses are digital competence, foreign language proficiency, and the lack of a consistent job position framework. Opportunities stem from Resolution 57-NQ/TW and support from enterprises, but challenges include weak infrastructure in mountainous areas and limited budgets. SWOT analysis confirmed the research hypothesis: the current development status of secondary school principals in the North Central region reached only a fair level (3.15/5), falling short of digital transformation requirements, and necessitating comprehensive solutions integrating AI, PDCA-OODA, and foreign language competence.
4. Solutions for Developing Secondary School Principals Based on a Job Position Approach
4.1. Workforce Planning for Secondary School Principals Aligned with Educational Development and Digital Transformation
This solution addresses inconsistencies in the number, gender structure, and quality of principals. Planning is developed on the job position competency framework, with a weight of 30% for digital competence and 20% for foreign language proficiency. AI tools such as Power BI are proposed for forecasting workforce demand, especially in mountainous areas, while the PDCA-OODA cycle supports flexible planning adaptable to fluctuations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
4.2. Recruitment and Utilization of Secondary School Principals Based on Job Position Criteria
This solution focuses on reforming recruitment processes, emphasizing digitalization, foreign language proficiency, and strategic leadership. Candidates are required to practice designing plans using LMS and AI chatbots and to demonstrate problem-solving abilities through OODA-based interviews. This ensures quality input while addressing current limitations in recruitment.
4.3. Capacity Building for Secondary School Principals in Specialized Competencies
This solution emphasizes a 30-hour training program with three core modules: 1) Digital leadership and PDCA-OODA; 2) AI applications (chatbots, Power BI); and 3) Foreign languages for international integration. The blended approach, 70% online and 30% in-person, saves costs while ensuring effectiveness. Pilot results revealed significant improvements in principals’ digital competence and foreign language proficiency.
4.4. Evaluation of Secondary School Principals Based on the Job Position Competency Framework
Evaluation is standardized using a set of criteria, with digital and AI competencies weighted at 30% and foreign language proficiency at 20%. Power BI is recommended for data aggregation and multi-dimensional feedback, helping to reduce administrative tasks by 20% and increase transparency. The PDCA cycle ensures continuous improvement, while OODA supports rapid crisis management (See Table 14).
Table 14. Criteria framework for evaluating secondary school principals according to job position.
Criteria |
Description |
Standard |
Maximum score |
Weighting factor (%) |
Strategic Leadership and Change Management |
Building a 5-year plan |
Achieve 80% of the target |
20 |
20 |
School Governance |
Human resource and financial management |
Transparent, effective |
20 |
20 |
Digital Competency and AI Applications |
Using LMS, AI |
Apply Google Classroom, Power BI |
30 |
30 |
Foreign Language Proficiency |
Read international documents |
Understanding OECD Reports |
20 |
20 |
Professional Development |
Teacher Support |
Quarterly Training |
15 |
15 |
Ethics and Social Responsibility |
Transparency and Accountability |
Charitable Activities |
10 |
10 |
4.5. Creating a Favorable Environment and Conditions for Developing Principals’ Competence
This solution focuses on improving digital infrastructure (internet, computer labs, equipment), especially in mountainous areas, through cooperation with telecommunication enterprises. At the same time, it emphasizes establishing networks for experience sharing and principal forums applying PDCA-OODA, thereby creating spaces for mutual support in school governance.
These solution groups are closely interrelated, forming a closed cycle: planning provides the source for recruitment; recruitment ensures quality input for training; training enhances competencies for evaluation; evaluation generates feedback for planning adjustments; and infrastructure serves as the foundation supporting all.
5. Conclusions
This study systematized the theoretical and practical foundations for developing LSS principles based on a job position approach in the context of digital transformation and international integration. The survey results in the North Central region show that principals have a relatively clear awareness of their roles, functions, and duties according to job positions, and demonstrate strengths in strategic leadership, human resource management, and professional ethics. However, major limitations include digital competence, AI application, and foreign language proficiency, particularly in mountainous areas with difficult infrastructure conditions.
Based on the situation analysis, the article proposed five comprehensive solution groups: 1) workforce planning aligned with digital transformation; 2) reforming recruitment and utilization according to job position criteria; 3) capacity building with emphasis on digital, AI, and foreign language competencies; 4) evaluating principals using a competency framework with weighted digital and international integration competencies; and 5) creating favorable environments and conditions in terms of infrastructure and experience sharing. These solutions are designed as a closed cycle following the PDCA-OODA principles, ensuring systematic implementation while enhancing flexibility in school governance.
The research contributes additional scientific evidence for improving policies on developing LSS principles and serves as a reference for localities in planning human resources for general education. In the future, further experimental studies should be conducted on training models and AI applications in school governance to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed job position framework.
This study has several limitations. First, the data are based on self-reported questionnaires, which may be subject to social desirability bias. Second, the focus on three provinces in North Central Vietnam limits the generalizability of the findings to other regions with different socio-economic conditions. Future research should include larger and more diverse samples and combine self-reports with observational or performance-based measures.