DIGITAL LEARNING SPACES AND HIGHER-ORDER THINKING IN SCHOOLS

Promoting higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) has become a central objective of contemporary schooling, particularly in technology-rich educational environments. This study examines differences between teachers’and school principals’ perceptions of learning skills promotion and investigates the combined contribution of digital learning spaces, organizational support and instructional leadership, teachers’ self-efficacy, and professional role to the promotion of HOTS.Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 420 educators in Israel, including teachers and school principals. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, group comparisons, correlation analyses, and multiple regression were conducted. The findings reveal significant role-based differences, with principals consistently reporting more favorable perceptions of learning skills promotion than teachers. Digital learning spaces emerged as a significant positive predictor of HOTS, while organizational support and instructional leadership demonstrated a complex and context-dependent association. Teachers’ self-efficacy contributed to HOTS promotion; however, its explanatory power was weaker than that of organizational and leadership factors when examined within a multivariate model.Overall, the results highlight the importance of aligning digital infrastructures, leadership practices, and professional roles to support higher-order thinking. By adopting a systemic and context-sensitive perspective, this study contributes to educational technology research and offers insights for leadership, practice, and policy aimed at fostering cognitively demanding learning in schools.