International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) Vol. 14, No. 3, June 2025, pp. 1577~1589 ISSN: 2252-8822, DOI: 10.11591/ijere.v14i3.32214  1577 Journal homepage: http://ijere.iaescore.com Development and validation of the principals’ digital leadership instrument using Rasch measurement model Peng Yuanyuan 1 , Bity Salwana Alias 2 , Azlin Norhaini Mansor 3 , Mohd Rashid Ab Hamid 4 1 Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia 2 Research Center of Leadership and Educational Policy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia 3 Centre for Shaping Advanced and Professional Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia 4 Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Pahang, Malaysia Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Jul 24, 2024 Revised Feb 5, 2025 Accepted Feb 13, 2025 This study addresses the critical need for robust measurement tools in digital leadership (DL) within educational settings—a topic of increasing relevance but limited research. Using the Rasch model measurement analysis, the study aims to develop and validate an instrument tailored to assess principals’ digital leadership (PDL) in China. The questionnaire, based on the five dimensions of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) for education leaders—equity and citizenship advocate (ECA), visionary planner (VP), empowering leader (EL), systems designer (SD), and connected learner (CL)—was adapted to reflect Chinese cultural contexts. Following expert validation, the 33-item instrument was piloted with 188 teachers from higher vocational and technical colleges in Sichuan Province. The Rasch analysis, performed using Winsteps 3.72.3, assessed item fit, unidimensionality, local independence, reliability, separation index, and item-person mapping. The findings revealed that 26 items met all assumptions, demonstrating the strong reliability, validity, and psychometric robustness of the instrument. In conclusion, the validated PDL instrument is a reliable tool for assessing the DL of principals within the Chinese educational context, offering insights into professional development, and sets the stage for future research and policy development in the field of educational leadership. Keywords: Instrument Principal’ digital leadership Rasch model measurement analysis Reliability Validity This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Bity Salwana Alias Research Center of Leadership and Educational Policy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 Bangi, Malaysia Email: bity@ukm.edu.my 1. INTRODUCTION The emerging digital technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, blockchain, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) [1] have profoundly changed educational practices and models, communication, and way of teaching and learning [2], posing serious threats, concerns, and challenges for educational institutions and education leaders. To remain competitive in the digital age, educational institutions must consistently anticipate and adapt to changes and challenges. Due to the pervasive integration of digital technologies into educational processes, digital leadership (DL) is imperative to support the sustainability of school improvement initiatives in the digital age and to facilitate the digital transformation of educational institutions [3]. DL is responsible for aligning the school structure, tasks, personnel, and culture with these continually changing circumstances. Educational leaders with extensive expertise and proficiency with DL are crucial in addressing the challenges that have emerged in the