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Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities

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A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2025) | Viewed by 14159

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. David Godfrey

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Guest Editor

Centre for Educational Leadership, Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, London WC1H 0AL, UK
Interests: educational leadership; school leaders; research-engaged cultures; collaborative networks for resilience and innovation; educational systems

Prof. Dr. Metin Özkan

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Guest Editor

Department of Educational Leadership, Gaziantep University, 27310 Gaziantep, Türkiye
Interests: educational administration; educational leadership; school development; educational systems

Dr. Lara Simielli

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Guest Editor

Department of Public Management, FGV EAESP, São Paulo, Brazil
Interests: educational leadership; networked leadership practices; school leadership development; school improvement; educational systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue titled “Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities”, we seek to explore the broad spectrum of challenges and innovations in educational leadership, reflecting the diverse and dynamic nature of this field. As educational environments grow increasingly complex, the role of leadership becomes more crucial in navigating these intricacies, fostering effective collaborations, and leveraging technological advancements like artificial intelligence. Societies face multiple challenges to do with anthropocentric environmental changes, global education reforms and shifts in employment patterns.

The aim of this Special Issue is to examine the challenges and opportunities for scholarship in the educational leadership terrain.

Suggested, but by no means an exhaustive list of themes, includes:

Evolving roles in educational leadership;
Enacting traditional leadership model, such as distributed leadership in less-explored contexts;
The impact of school networks and partnerships on leadership or understanding the leadership of networks and partnerships;
Strategic use of AI and technology in leadership processes, or leadership of digital technology implementation;
Comparative leadership practices across different educational systems;
Leadership in the context of human-induced environmental changes;
Leading schools to prepare students for future, shifting employment challenges;
New ways of collaboration that enable school leaders to develop and flourish;
New theoretical or methodological approaches to studying educational leadership.

This Special Issue seeks to provide a broad array of perspectives from different educational settings and to provide readers insights into how educational leaders can effectively address current challenges while preparing for future opportunities.

Dr. David Godfrey
Prof. Dr. Metin Özkan
Dr. Lara Simielli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

educational leadership
leadership development
collaborative partnerships
distributed leadership
technology in leadership
global education reforms
networked leadership practices

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 423 KB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring the Weight of the Unexpected: A Multidimensional Contingency Index for School Leadership

by Gonzalo Munoz Stuardo, José Weinstein, Lara Simielli and Matías Sembler

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030469 - 19 Mar 2026

Viewed by 698

Abstract

School principals face increasing demands that compete for their time and attention, yet contingency—the unexpected situations that interrupt daily work—remains understudied. This study, conducted in Chile’s highly segregated education system, advances beyond frequency-based measures by proposing a Multidimensional Contingency Index (MCI) that integrates both frequency and intensity of contingencies, enabling distinction between “noise contingencies” (frequent, low-impact disruptions) and “crisis contingencies” (less frequent but high-complexity situations demanding significant cognitive and emotional resources). Using data from a nationally representative survey of 381 principals, four key findings emerge. First, family–school relationships represent the heaviest contingency burden, exceeding other domains by up to 320% when considering intensity. Second, individual characteristics (gender, experience, training) do not explain contingency levels: only structural factors matter. Third, public school principals face contingency levels exceeding 300% of those of their private counterparts in critical domains, suggesting that wicked problems are unequally distributed across the school system. Fourth, high contingency strongly correlates with reduced principal well-being, including insufficient preparation time and elevated stress levels. These findings have implications for leadership standards, principal preparation programs, and equity-oriented policies that must address the systematically unequal burden facing schools serving vulnerable populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

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24 pages, 1396 KB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: Exploring School Leaders’ Roles and Influence

by Sedat Gümüş, Xeniya Belova and Jiafang Lu

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030373 - 28 Feb 2026

Viewed by 1122

Abstract

The growing prevalence of mental health issues among adolescents in Hong Kong SAR has urged secondary schools to enhance their well-being support systems. This study focuses on the One-off Grant for Mental Health at School, a newly launched initiative by the Education Bureau. Based on a qualitative analysis of 121 school documents and focus group interviews with school leadership teams from five government-aided secondary schools, the study found that the schools generally used the grant as additional support to enhance their existing well-being initiatives. These included organizing well-being support activities, purchasing or designing educational resources and materials, enhancing school facilities, and establishing or enhancing school-based well-being support systems. The study also found that school leaders played a critical role in the implementation of the grant, with principals perceiving themselves as primary policy setters and vice-principals and teacher leaders as bridges connecting senior leadership with other stakeholders. In addition to their individual roles, the findings revealed that leaders relied on collaborative decision-making practices to facilitate more effective implementation of the grant. It is recommended that current well-being support measures be further enhanced by establishing sustained support programs and encouraging greater stakeholder participation in relevant policymaking processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

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33 pages, 423 KB

Open AccessArticle

Boundary-Spanning Beyond Widening Participation: Exploring Collaborative Leadership Practices in an English Schools–University Partnership

by Susila Davis-Singaravelu, Pamela Sammons, Samina Khan and Alison Matthews

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030356 - 24 Feb 2026

Viewed by 487

Abstract

Widening participation policy in England is increasingly collaborative. Since 2018, higher education (HE) institutions charging above the basic tuition fee limit are required to set out strategies to mitigate ‘risks to equality of opportunity’ for people from more disadvantaged backgrounds and their ability to access and progress through and from higher education’. Universities are encouraged to work with schools to implement outreach initiatives such as supporting raising attainment—stimulating prospects for strategic collaboration and leadership across organisational boundaries. While the majority of leadership studies in the educational research literature showcase individual settings or sectors, our study of a schools–university partnership investigates collaborative leadership practices across institutional and sector borders. Drawing ethnomethodological insights from rich qualitative data compiled 15 months into the partnership—comprising semi-structured interviews with school leaders and teachers, meeting observations, and researcher field notes—we present a unique school stakeholders’ perspective of a boundary-spanning partnership focused on university outreach and educational improvement. Venturing across institutional borders revealed pathways to develop more diffuse forms of coordinated action around a common goal—activating increased leadership-based collaboration and creativity among school stakeholders alongside a need for greater shared understanding to avoid potential misalignments. Facilitated by ‘knowledge brokering’ between school and university stakeholders, features of collaborative leadership manifested as a blended phenomenon—with teachers and leaders signalling pragmatic shifts in attainment-raising framing and practice. Implications for both schools and HE sectors are offered, distinctively at the intersection of school leadership and widening participation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

19 pages, 307 KB

Open AccessArticle

Cultivating the Next Generation: How Teacher Leadership Identity Shapes Aspirational Engagement with Students in Compulsory School

by Anna Öqvist and Malin Malmström

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010087 - 7 Jan 2026

Viewed by 940

Abstract

A global decline in students’ motivation and academic performance poses a serious threat to future competence supply, particularly in knowledge-driven economies such as Sweden. Despite higher education’s growing importance for economic and social mobility, the number of students pursuing such education continues to fall. This study employs a mixed-methods design using an explanatory sequential approach to explore how teachers’ leadership identity influences their aspirational engagement in shaping students’ beliefs and intentions to pursue higher education and future career opportunities. The results show that teachers who identify strongly with their leadership role exhibit a type of leadership that influences aspirational engagement with students. This, in turn, may promote students’ beliefs in their potential and intentions to pursue higher education through (1) aspirational engagement in individual dialogues with students, (2) aspirational engagement when introducing new subject areas in whole-class communication, and (3) aspirational engagement related to practical work experience (PRAO). This study demonstrates an understanding of the important potential of teachers’ contributions to elevate society’s future competence supply. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

20 pages, 1333 KB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Teacher Educators’ Leadership Through Distributed Pedagogical Practice in Kenyan Preservice Education

by Peter Ochieng Okiri, Tun Zaw Oo and Krisztián Józsa

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091176 - 8 Sep 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2168

Abstract

Existing educational leadership research consistently emphasizes the importance of empowering and supporting classroom teachers to develop essential teaching experiences and leadership skills, enabling them to become autonomous curriculum developers and thinkers. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and understanding of distributed pedagogical leadership among Kenyan preservice professional actors in their respective contexts. It also examined the significance and impact of this practice on enhancing and strengthening the teaching and leadership abilities of teacher educators, thereby empowering them as effective pedagogical leaders in the classroom. The study employed a mixed methods design with a convergent parallel approach, using purposive sampling to select 83 participants, including administrative leaders, formal teacher leaders, and teacher educators from five public and private preservice teacher training colleges. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions for qualitative insights, and an online survey for quantitative data. Results show that principals and formal teacher leaders play a key role in empowering teacher educators by distributing pedagogical leadership responsibilities among all professional actors. However, teacher educators felt that the distribution of tasks and responsibilities was uneven, which hindered effective implementation. This study also highlights how employer policies, through principals, influence the distribution of pedagogical leadership responsibilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

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Review

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19 pages, 507 KB

Open AccessReview

Systemic Leadership and Educational Equity: A Review of Proposals from International Organizations

by Luis Felipe de la Vega and María Verónica Leiva-Guerrero

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020251 - 5 Feb 2026

Viewed by 929

Abstract

This article analyzes how the OECD and UNESCO conceptualize and develop proposals linking systemic leadership with educational equity. These proposals aim to address the challenges of an increasingly complex global scenario in which management efficiency must be balanced with the need to strengthen the public value of educational policies. A qualitative descriptive-analytical design based on the analysis of 37 strategic documents from both institutions was used to study and compare their perspectives on equity, guidelines on systemic leadership, and proposed practices for implementing it. The results show that the OECD favors a vision of systemic leadership that focuses on improving management capacities, multiscale coordination, and the strategic use of data to enhance policy effectiveness. Meanwhile, UNESCO’s proposals lean toward a more transformative and social vision of systemic leadership, with a greater number and variety of references to inclusion, democratic participation, and social justice. The conclusions highlight the importance of linking research on educational leadership with research on educational policies. Systemic leadership can be a fundamental link in this regard if it balances visions of the purposes of education (the what) with strategic definitions for achieving them (the how). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

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25 pages, 2306 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Reimagining Educational Governance Through Blockchain: Decentralized Trust and Transparency in a Hybrid Analysis

by Khalid Arar, Hamit Özen, Gülşah Polat and Selahattin Turan

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(4), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16040532 - 27 Mar 2026

Viewed by 1661

Abstract

With the acceleration of digital transformation in education, this paper examines how blockchain is being framed as a governance solution for trust, transparency, and decentralization. Using a hybrid bibliometric and thematic analysis of 93 Web of Science and Scopus publications, the study maps publication trends, leading outlets, author networks, and conceptual clusters. We analyze co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence patterns, and conceptual structures using VOSviewer version 1.6.19 and the R-based Bibliometrix package. Then, we apply qualitative coding to offer a more profound interpretation of governance stories. Findings show that blockchain in educational governance is predominantly positioned through techno-managerial lenses—focusing on secure credentials, tamper-proof records, and efficiency—while critical perspectives on power, equity, and participation remain limited. Global North institutions and computer science–oriented venues dominate the field, with little engagement from Global South contexts or educational leadership scholarship. The paper concludes by proposing a research agenda that reimagines blockchain not as a neutral tool, but as a socio-technical assemblage that must be interrogated through equity-, ethics-, and community-centered frameworks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

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14 pages, 269 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Revisiting School Leadership: Indigenous Challenges to Global North Models

by Tony Bush and Xiaoting Guo

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020354 - 23 Feb 2026

Viewed by 1011

Abstract

There is great interest in school leadership models, with their potential to explain and interpret leadership structures and processes. Models developed in the Global North, notably in the UK and USA, are now widely cited by scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners in many countries, including in the Global South. This article reviews the origins and development of these models, and their application in African and Asian contexts. It also examines the emergence of indigenous models, notably Ubuntu, Confucianism, and Islamic theory. The problem under scrutiny is why indigenous models appear to be neglected in the Global South, in favour of international models. These specific approaches are chosen because they have wide applicability, beyond nation-states. The paper stresses the importance of context and offers links between global and indigenous models. The topic is important and relevant given the growing concern about post-colonial influences in many Global South countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

15 pages, 1004 KB

Open AccessEssay

Educational Leaders Making Sense of and Leading Through Turbulent Times

by David Gurr, Christopher Hudson and Nada Jarni

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020250 - 5 Feb 2026

Viewed by 1073

Abstract

This essay describes a leadership domains and capabilities framework and a futures thinking framework that educational leaders can use to help them navigate successfully through turbulent times. The leadership framework includes seven stable domains, and 37 associated capabilities. For this essay, the focus is on the domains associated with setting directions and understanding contexts (sensemaking). The futures framework uses past, current, best and next practices, and prediction pathways, to consider near and distant futures. The use of these frameworks is illustrated through consideration of three pressing issues facing educational leaders across the world: improving student feedback, developing future-ready capabilities, and adopting artificial intelligence (AI). Educational leaders are encouraged to have a view of leadership and futures, so they are better able to set direction and act as sense makers for their organisations, and ultimately lead a more successful organisation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

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22 pages, 445 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

A Systematic Literature Review on the Development and Implementation of School Improvement Plans (SIPs) Around the World

by Coby V. Meyers and Bryan A. VanGronigen

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1708; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15121708 - 17 Dec 2025

Viewed by 1700

Abstract

Many countries around the world require some or all schools to develop and implement a school improvement plan (SIP), which is a tool intended to guide the identification of school-specific needs for improvement along with a series of priorities, goals, and actions to help address those needs. Yet, the literature on this topic remains rather sparse. In this article, we conducted a systematic review of the international literature on SIPs published from 2010 through 2025, identifying 62 relevant articles for analysis. We organized this review’s findings around six areas related to SIP development and implementation: assessing current conditions, determining needs, setting direction, organizing resources, taking action, and evaluating progress. Findings suggest that while divergences exist between contexts with respect to these six areas, there are considerable convergences in how educators and others conceptualize and interact with SIPs. We close with recommendations for future research that both strengthens and broadens the extant literature on SIPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities)

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