research topics educational leadership

• Write my thesis
• Thesis writers
• Buy thesis papers
• Bachelor thesis
• Master's thesis
• Thesis editing services
• Thesis proofreading services
• Buy a thesis online
• Write my dissertation
• Dissertation proposal help
• Pay for dissertation
• Custom dissertation
• Dissertation help online
• Buy dissertation online
• Cheap dissertation
• Dissertation editing services
• Write my research paper
• Buy research paper online
• Pay for research paper
• Research paper help
• Order research paper
• Custom research paper
• Cheap research paper
• Research papers for sale
• Thesis subjects
• How It Works

60+ Amazing Research Topics for Educational Leadership

A dissertation or thesis is a document presented for one to be awarded a degree or professional qualification. It involves research on a given topic.

Educational leadership, on the other hand, involves identifying and nurturing talents in a school set up to meet the objectives of education.

Now let’s merge the two and see the meaning.

A dissertation topic in educational leadership is, therefore, a thesis on how pupils, teachers, and parents will work towards achieving a common goal.

Leadership dissertation topics are common nowadays attributed to the growing number of institutions, and schools were also incorporated. Education dissertation topics are hence being researched daily due to the emerging challenges in running schools.

Dissertation topics in higher education leadership are vast because of the various tertiary institutions available; vocational training institutions, colleges, and universities. Enough of the explanations, and now let’s delve into the course meal. So sit tight and belt up, this is going to be one fantastic flight you’ve ever had.

60 Research Paper Topics in Educational Leadership

• The Effects of Religion on Educational Leadership
• Analyzing Long Term and Short Term Educational Leadership Goals
• How to pass teacher’s excellence to students easily
• The role of Leadership Summits on Educational Leadership
• The Impact of leadership Training Institutions on Educational Leadership
• How To Improve Education Leadership in the Society Today
• How effective is the Youth than the Elderly in Educational Leadership?
• Evaluating Different structures of Organizational Leadership
• How Education Leadership Varies with Different Continental Settings
• The Effects of Teacher-Parent-Student Ratio in Educational Leadership
• How Public and Private Institutions Vary in Education Leadership
• Policies in Educational Leadership and Their Impact
• Analyzing Higher Education Leadership Characteristics
• Leadership in Higher Education Frames Analysis
• The Impact of Higher Education Programs Leadership Development
• The Higher education Leadership Indigenous Perspective
• Distance Education Programs and Transformational Leadership Characteristics in Higher Education
• How to Plan For an American Higher Education Leadership Crisis
• Preparing of Educational Leadership Personnel
• Evaluating Better Schools With a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership
• How is Educational Leadership in the 21st Century
• Understanding What a Masters in Educational Leadership Entails
• How Educational Leadership is Financed
• Evaluating Differences in Educational Leadership Between Profit and Non-Profit Organizations
• The Need for Effective Leadership in Education
• Analyzing Globalization in Educational Leadership
• Understanding the Different Education Leadership Styles
• When To Start Teaching Education Leadership and The Impact
• Impact of Online Courses on Educational Leadership Graduates
• How Innovative Strategies Impact Educational Leadership
• Evaluating Trends in Educational Leadership
• How Educational Leadership Contributes to Discrimination
• Analyzing Technical Terms in Educational Leadership
• What is the Impact of Subordinate Staff on Educational Leadership
• How Can we Merge Student Leadership with the Administration
• The Need to Simplify Educational Leadership
• Innovative Solutions to Educational Leadership Challenges
• Ensuring Sustainable Student-Parent-Teacher Relationship
• Demystifying Myths About Educational Leadership
• How To Initiate a Re-Birth in Educational Leadership

Also, here are additional dissertation topics for custom dissertation writing on educational leadership:

1. Understanding The Role of Women in Educational Leadership

Ladies, first am being a gentleman here. It has been one of the most researched educational leadership topics.

2. How Cultural Organizations Influence School Institutions

A set way of life defines every Society in any part of the world. These cultural aspects also imply educational leadership.

3. The Influence of Educational Leadership on Transformation

This form of organizational leadership dissertation aims to establish the impact of educational leadership in Society. For instance, how has the Society grown or depreciated as a result of the educational leadership?

4. What Role Does Educational Leadership Serve in Society?

The values and morals set by an education institution determine how the Society will be in the future. A valuable educational leadership system will thus pass on responsible, and reliable people to Society.

5. The Role of Education Leadership on the Success of the Society

Success is critical in any undertaking. If not, why engage with it in the first place? This dissertation topic, therefore, seeks to unveil how education leadership can contribute to the success of the Society.

6. The Impact of Educational Leadership in Research and Literature

Educational leadership determines decisions such as the number of resources invested in research. Thus, it will major on how various forms of educational leadership either contribute to or against study and literature.

7. How Social Media Affects Educational Leadership

The digital era has immensely contributed to the organization of various forms of leadership. Social media can either be positively or negatively impacting educational leadership. Therefore, such a dissertation topic will bring this out.

8. How Poor Leadership and Poor Results in Schools Relate

Decisions made by the parents, teacher, or the students themselves will have an impact on their results.

9. The Role of Technology in Educational Leadership

Has it improved or depreciated the value of educational leadership?

10. The Impact of the Community on Educational Leadership

It focuses on how to incorporate the community into the educational leadership and the subsequent results.

11. How Racism Impacts Educational Leadership

This leadership dissertation topic focuses on institutions with mixed races. Does this affect the running of institutions?

12. The Impact of Interdisciplinary Teams in Running of Schools

Are they effective? And if so, to what extent?

13. The Comparison between Top and Lower Performing Schools

How are the two institutions managed? Are the educational leadership systems the same?

14. How to Intertwine Certain Teaching Methods with an Efficient Organization

Can specific strategic teaching methods be incorporated into educational leadership?

15. How Leadership Wrangles Affect Students

Teachers and parents fighting for different positions in the administration can affect student performance.

16. Analyzing Characteristics of Various Teachers Handling a Certain Subject

The traits of various instructors can either have a positive or negative impact on their mode of delivery.

17. How can Students be incorporated into the Educational Leadership

Ways in which students can adequately represent in the school leadership.

18. Government Regulations on Educational Leadership

Do Government regulations promote or inhibit educational leadership?

19. How Can Special Groups Be Represented Effectively

Persons with disabilities also have an equal right in administration.

20. Evaluating the Impact of the Politics of a Country to Educational Leadership

Do politicians have a say in the running of school institutions?

Use Our Topics And Get A+ Grade

These dissertation topics will properly groom you in writing your next thesis. Ask our professional team of writers to get help in writing more leadership dissertation topics.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Research Topics & Ideas: Education

170+ Research Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring education-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas , including examples from actual dissertations and theses..

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Education Research Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• List of 50+ education-related research topics/ideas
• List of 120+ level-specific research topics 
• Examples of actual dissertation topics in education
• Tips to fast-track your topic ideation (video)
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

Education-Related Research Topics & Ideas

Below you’ll find a list of education-related research topics and idea kickstarters. These are fairly broad and flexible to various contexts, so keep in mind that you will need to refine them a little. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

• The impact of school funding on student achievement
• The effects of social and emotional learning on student well-being
• The effects of parental involvement on student behaviour
• The impact of teacher training on student learning
• The impact of classroom design on student learning
• The impact of poverty on education
• The use of student data to inform instruction
• The role of parental involvement in education
• The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom
• The use of technology in the classroom
• The role of critical thinking in education
• The use of formative and summative assessments in the classroom
• The use of differentiated instruction in the classroom
• The use of gamification in education
• The effects of teacher burnout on student learning
• The impact of school leadership on student achievement
• The effects of teacher diversity on student outcomes
• The role of teacher collaboration in improving student outcomes
• The implementation of blended and online learning
• The effects of teacher accountability on student achievement
• The effects of standardized testing on student learning
• The effects of classroom management on student behaviour
• The effects of school culture on student achievement
• The use of student-centred learning in the classroom
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes
• The achievement gap in minority and low-income students
• The use of culturally responsive teaching in the classroom
• The impact of teacher professional development on student learning
• The use of project-based learning in the classroom
• The effects of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The use of adaptive learning technology in the classroom
• The impact of teacher turnover on student learning
• The effects of teacher recruitment and retention on student learning
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic success
• The impact of parental involvement on student engagement
• The use of positive reinforcement in education
• The impact of school climate on student engagement
• The role of STEM education in preparing students for the workforce
• The effects of school choice on student achievement
• The use of technology in the form of online tutoring

Level-Specific Research Topics

Looking for research topics for a specific level of education? We’ve got you covered. Below you can find research topic ideas for primary, secondary and tertiary-level education contexts. Click the relevant level to view the respective list.

Research Topics: Pick An Education Level

Primary education.

• Investigating the effects of peer tutoring on academic achievement in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of mindfulness practices in primary school classrooms
• Examining the effects of different teaching strategies on primary school students’ problem-solving skills
• The use of storytelling as a teaching strategy in primary school literacy instruction
• The role of cultural diversity in promoting tolerance and understanding in primary schools
• The impact of character education programs on moral development in primary school students
• Investigating the use of technology in enhancing primary school mathematics education
• The impact of inclusive curriculum on promoting equity and diversity in primary schools
• The impact of outdoor education programs on environmental awareness in primary school students
• The influence of school climate on student motivation and engagement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of early literacy interventions on reading comprehension in primary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student achievement in primary schools
• Exploring the benefits of inclusive education for students with special needs in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of teacher-student feedback on academic motivation in primary schools
• The role of technology in developing digital literacy skills in primary school students
• Effective strategies for fostering a growth mindset in primary school students
• Investigating the role of parental support in reducing academic stress in primary school children
• The role of arts education in fostering creativity and self-expression in primary school students
• Examining the effects of early childhood education programs on primary school readiness
• Examining the effects of homework on primary school students’ academic performance
• The role of formative assessment in improving learning outcomes in primary school classrooms
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes in primary school
• Investigating the effects of classroom environment on student behavior and learning outcomes in primary schools
• Investigating the role of creativity and imagination in primary school curriculum
• The impact of nutrition and healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on primary school students’ well-being and academic performance
• The role of parental involvement in academic achievement of primary school children
• Examining the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior in primary school
• The role of school leadership in creating a positive school climate Exploring the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in developing critical thinking skills in primary school students
• The role of inquiry-based learning in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in primary school students
• The effects of class size on student engagement and achievement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of recess and physical activity breaks on attention and learning in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of outdoor play in developing gross motor skills in primary school children
• The effects of educational field trips on knowledge retention in primary school students
• Examining the effects of inclusive classroom practices on students’ attitudes towards diversity in primary schools
• The impact of parental involvement in homework on primary school students’ academic achievement
• Investigating the effectiveness of different assessment methods in primary school classrooms
• The influence of physical activity and exercise on cognitive development in primary school children
• Exploring the benefits of cooperative learning in promoting social skills in primary school students

Secondary Education

• Investigating the effects of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic success in secondary education
• The role of social media in enhancing communication and collaboration among secondary school students
• The impact of school leadership on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of technology integration on teaching and learning in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in promoting critical thinking skills in secondary schools
• The impact of arts education on creativity and self-expression in secondary school students
• The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in promoting student learning in secondary education
• The role of career guidance programs in preparing secondary school students for future employment
• Investigating the effects of student-centered learning approaches on student autonomy and academic success in secondary schools
• The impact of socio-economic factors on educational attainment in secondary education
• Investigating the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of multicultural education on cultural understanding and tolerance in secondary schools
• The influence of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior and academic engagement in secondary education
• The influence of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of extracurricular activities in promoting holistic development and well-roundedness in secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models on student engagement and achievement in secondary education
• The role of physical education in promoting physical health and well-being among secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of gender on academic achievement and career aspirations in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of multicultural literature in promoting cultural awareness and empathy among secondary school students
• The impact of school counseling services on student mental health and well-being in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of vocational education and training in preparing secondary school students for the workforce
• The role of digital literacy in preparing secondary school students for the digital age
• The influence of parental involvement on academic success and well-being of secondary school students
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on secondary school students’ well-being and academic success
• The role of character education in fostering ethical and responsible behavior in secondary school students
• Examining the effects of digital citizenship education on responsible and ethical technology use among secondary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of educational technology in promoting personalized learning experiences in secondary schools
• The impact of inclusive education on the social and academic outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary schools
• The influence of parental support on academic motivation and achievement in secondary education
• The role of school climate in promoting positive behavior and well-being among secondary school students
• Examining the effects of peer mentoring programs on academic achievement and social-emotional development in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and achievement in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning programs in promoting civic engagement among secondary school students
• The impact of educational policies on educational equity and access in secondary education
• Examining the effects of homework on academic achievement and student well-being in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of different assessment methods on student performance in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of single-sex education on academic performance and gender stereotypes in secondary schools
• The role of mentoring programs in supporting the transition from secondary to post-secondary education

Tertiary Education

• The role of student support services in promoting academic success and well-being in higher education
• The impact of internationalization initiatives on students’ intercultural competence and global perspectives in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of active learning classrooms and learning spaces on student engagement and learning outcomes in tertiary education
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning experiences in fostering civic engagement and social responsibility in higher education
• The influence of learning communities and collaborative learning environments on student academic and social integration in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of undergraduate research experiences in fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills
• Investigating the effects of academic advising and mentoring on student retention and degree completion in higher education
• The role of student engagement and involvement in co-curricular activities on holistic student development in higher education
• The impact of multicultural education on fostering cultural competence and diversity appreciation in higher education
• The role of internships and work-integrated learning experiences in enhancing students’ employability and career outcomes
• Examining the effects of assessment and feedback practices on student learning and academic achievement in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty-student relationships on student success and well-being in tertiary education
• The impact of college transition programs on students’ academic and social adjustment to higher education
• The impact of online learning platforms on student learning outcomes in higher education
• The impact of financial aid and scholarships on access and persistence in higher education
• The influence of student leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities on personal development and campus engagement
• Exploring the benefits of competency-based education in developing job-specific skills in tertiary students
• Examining the effects of flipped classroom models on student learning and retention in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of online collaboration and virtual team projects in developing teamwork skills in tertiary students
• Investigating the effects of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences in tertiary education
• The influence of study abroad programs on intercultural competence and global perspectives of college students
• Investigating the effects of peer mentoring and tutoring programs on student retention and academic performance in tertiary education
• Investigating the effectiveness of active learning strategies in promoting student engagement and achievement in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models and hybrid courses on student learning and satisfaction in higher education
• The role of digital literacy and information literacy skills in supporting student success in the digital age
• Investigating the effects of experiential learning opportunities on career readiness and employability of college students
• The impact of e-portfolios on student reflection, self-assessment, and showcasing of learning in higher education
• The role of technology in enhancing collaborative learning experiences in tertiary classrooms
• The impact of research opportunities on undergraduate student engagement and pursuit of advanced degrees
• Examining the effects of competency-based assessment on measuring student learning and achievement in tertiary education
• Examining the effects of interdisciplinary programs and courses on critical thinking and problem-solving skills in college students
• The role of inclusive education and accessibility in promoting equitable learning experiences for diverse student populations
• The role of career counseling and guidance in supporting students’ career decision-making in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty diversity and representation on student success and inclusive learning environments in higher education

Education-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in education, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses in the education space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of education-related research projects to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• From Rural to Urban: Education Conditions of Migrant Children in China (Wang, 2019)
• Energy Renovation While Learning English: A Guidebook for Elementary ESL Teachers (Yang, 2019)
• A Reanalyses of Intercorrelational Matrices of Visual and Verbal Learners’ Abilities, Cognitive Styles, and Learning Preferences (Fox, 2020)
• A study of the elementary math program utilized by a mid-Missouri school district (Barabas, 2020)
• Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective (Burcks, 2019)
• Higher education students services: a qualitative study of two mid-size universities’ direct exchange programs (Kinde, 2020)
• Exploring editorial leadership : a qualitative study of scholastic journalism advisers teaching leadership in Missouri secondary schools (Lewis, 2020)
• Selling the virtual university: a multimodal discourse analysis of marketing for online learning (Ludwig, 2020)
• Advocacy and accountability in school counselling: assessing the use of data as related to professional self-efficacy (Matthews, 2020)
• The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district (Scarbrough, 2020)
• Core values driving sustained elite performance cultures (Beiner, 2020)
• Educative features of upper elementary Eureka math curriculum (Dwiggins, 2020)
• How female principals nurture adult learning opportunities in successful high schools with challenging student demographics (Woodward, 2020)
• The disproportionality of Black Males in Special Education: A Case Study Analysis of Educator Perceptions in a Southeastern Urban High School (McCrae, 2021)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic within education, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

You Might Also Like:

61 Comments

This is an helpful tool 🙏

Special education

Really appreciated by this . It is the best platform for research related items

Research title related to school of students

I think this platform is actually good enough.

Research title related to students

My field is research measurement and evaluation. Need dissertation topics in the field

Good idea I’m going to teach my colleagues

You can find our list of nursing-related research topic ideas here: https://gradcoach.com/research-topics-nursing/

Write on action research topic, using guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

Thanks a lot

I learned a lot from this site, thank you so much!

Thank you for the information.. I would like to request a topic based on school major in social studies

parental involvement and students academic performance

Science education topics?

plz tell me if you got some good topics, im here for finding research topic for masters degree

How about School management and supervision pls.?

Hi i am an Deputy Principal in a primary school. My wish is to srudy foe Master’s degree in Education.Please advice me on which topic can be relevant for me. Thanks.

Every topic proposed above on primary education is a starting point for me. I appreciate immensely the team that has sat down to make a detail of these selected topics just for beginners like us. Be blessed.

Kindly help me with the research questions on the topic” Effects of workplace conflict on the employees’ job performance”. The effects can be applicable in every institution,enterprise or organisation.

Greetings, I am a student majoring in Sociology and minoring in Public Administration. I’m considering any recommended research topic in the field of Sociology.

I’m a student pursuing Mphil in Basic education and I’m considering any recommended research proposal topic in my field of study

Kindly help me with a research topic in educational psychology. Ph.D level. Thank you.

Project-based learning is a teaching/learning type,if well applied in a classroom setting will yield serious positive impact. What can a teacher do to implement this in a disadvantaged zone like “North West Region of Cameroon ( hinterland) where war has brought about prolonged and untold sufferings on the indegins?

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration PhD level

I am also looking for such type of title

I am a student of undergraduate, doing research on how to use guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

the topics are very good regarding research & education .

Can i request your suggestion topic for my Thesis about Teachers as an OFW. thanx you

Would like to request for suggestions on a topic in Economics of education,PhD level

Would like to request for suggestions on a topic in Economics of education

Hi 👋 I request that you help me with a written research proposal about education the format

Am offering degree in education senior high School Accounting. I want a topic for my project work

l would like to request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

I would to inquire on research topics on Educational psychology, Masters degree

I am PhD student, I am searching my Research topic, It should be innovative,my area of interest is online education,use of technology in education

request suggestion on topic in masters in medical education .

Look at British Library as they keep a copy of all PhDs in the UK Core.ac.uk to access Open University and 6 other university e-archives, pdf downloads mostly available, all free.

May I also ask for a topic based on mathematics education for college teaching, please?

Please I am a masters student of the department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education Please I am in need of proposed project topics to help with my final year thesis

Am a PhD student in Educational Foundations would like a sociological topic. Thank

please i need a proposed thesis project regardging computer science

Greetings and Regards I am a doctoral student in the field of philosophy of education. I am looking for a new topic for my thesis. Because of my work in the elementary school, I am looking for a topic that is from the field of elementary education and is related to the philosophy of education.

Masters student in the field of curriculum, any ideas of a research topic on low achiever students

In the field of curriculum any ideas of a research topic on deconalization in contextualization of digital teaching and learning through in higher education

Amazing guidelines

I am a graduate with two masters. 1) Master of arts in religious studies and 2) Master in education in foundations of education. I intend to do a Ph.D. on my second master’s, however, I need to bring both masters together through my Ph.D. research. can I do something like, ” The contribution of Philosophy of education for a quality religion education in Kenya”? kindly, assist and be free to suggest a similar topic that will bring together the two masters. thanks in advance

Hi, I am an Early childhood trainer as well as a researcher, I need more support on this topic: The impact of early childhood education on later academic success.

I’m a student in upper level secondary school and I need your support in this research topics: “Impact of incorporating project -based learning in teaching English language skills in secondary schools”.

Although research activities and topics should stem from reflection on one’s practice, I found this site valuable as it effectively addressed many issues we have been experiencing as practitioners.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

Reframing Educational Leadership Research in the Twenty-First Century

• Open Access
• First Online: 16 June 2021

Cite this chapter

You have full access to this open access chapter

• David NG 7  

Part of the book series: Accountability and Educational Improvement ((ACED))

4707 Accesses

2 Citations

9 Altmetric

For the last three decades, reviews on instructional leadership have pointed to studies that predominantly adopted conventional social science research methodologies, specifically analytical tools, such as descriptive, causal factor, correlational and advanced modelling. These methods have constraints and limitations, which include that variable-based linear models measures are treated as ‘rigorously real’ measures of social reality, that individuals use rational deduction (ignoring the value premise of decision-making), and that individuals are treated as independent and individualized. This paper proposes and illustrates how research approaches of complexity science can be applied within the social system to address complex instructional leadership questions. Consequently, reframing instructional leadership research through the lens of complexity science provides the most viable approach to understand the adaptive processes and the dynamic system of schools.

You have full access to this open access chapter,  Download chapter PDF

Similar content being viewed by others

Theorising pedagogical dimensions of higher education leadership—a non-affirmative approach

Educational Theory: The Specific Case of Social Justice as an Educational Leadership Construct

Instructional Leadership

7.1 introduction.

Educational leadership research has come of age. From its fledgling start in 1960s under the overarching research agenda of educational administration for school improvement, the focus shifted to leadership research from the early 1990s (Boyan, 1981 ; Day et al., 2010 ; Griffiths, 1959 , 1979 ; Gronn, 2002 ; MacBeath & Cheng, 2008 ; Mulford & Silins, 2003 ; Southworth, 2002 ; Witziers, Bosker, & Kruger, 2003 ). Since then, educational leadership as a respected field began to flourish by the early 2000s (Hallinger, 2013 ; Robinson, Lloyd, & Rowe, 2008 ; Walker & Dimmock, 2000 ). From the 1980s up to the present time, the body of knowledge on educational leadership has grown tremendously to produce three distinctive educational leadership theories: Instructional leadership, transformational leadership, and distributed leadership. While it is undisputed that educational leadership research has indeed been productive, there is a sense that a narrowing labyrinth of researchable questions is approaching in particular to the first two educational leadership research theories. The evidence of this is implied in the concerted call to expand and situate educational leadership research in non-Western societies (Dimmock, 2000 ; Dimmock & Walker, 2005 ; Hallinger, 2011 ; Hallinger, Walker, & Bajunid, 2005 ). This call is valid in that there is still limited contribution to substantive theory building from non-Western societies. However, it also implies that Western societies’ focus on educational leadership has reached an optimum stage in publications and knowledge building. A more pertinent reason to rethink educational leadership research could be based on epistemological questions about the social science research paradigm that has been the foundation of educational leadership research. These questions will be expanded as the discussion proceeds on current approaches of educational leadership research.

This chapter has three goals: The first one is to map the data-analytical methods used in educational leadership research over the last thirty years (1980–2016). This investigation covers the research methodologies used in instructional leadership, transformational leadership, and distributed leadership.

Educational leadership studies are conducted in the social context of the school. This context involves complex social interactions between and among leaders, staff, parents, communities, partners, and students. In the last decade, there has been a consensus among scholars that schools have evolved to become more complex. Furthermore, there is a consensus among scholars to view complexity through increases in the number of actors and the interactions between them. The complexity of schools is evident in the rise in accountability and involvement from an expanding number of stakeholders involved, such as politicians, clinical professionals (who diagnose learning disabilities of students), communities, and educational resource providers (training and certifying institutions). The relations between stakeholders are non-linear and discontinuous, so even small changes in variables can have a significant impact on the whole system. Therefore, the second goal is to determine whether methodologies that are adequate for the assessment of complex interaction patterns, influences, interdependencies, and behavioural outcomes that are associated with the social context of the school, have been adopted over the past three decades.

The third goal is to explore potential methodologies in the study of educational leadership. These alternative methodologies are taken from more recent developments of research methodologies used in other fields. These fields, such as health, development of society, among others, have similarities with the study of educational leadership. The common link is the social contexts and the system’s influence involving the spectrum of interactions, change, and emergence. We will examine published empirical research and associated theories that look at influence, interdependencies, change, and emergence. Adopting these alternative methodologies will enable reframing educational leadership so it can move forward. Three questions guide the presentation of this paper:

What are the data sources and analytical methods adopted in educational leadership research?

What is the current landscape of schooling and how does it challenge current educational leadership research methodologies?

What are some possible alternative research methodologies and how can they complement current methodologies in educational leadership research?

This chapter proposes to reframe educational leadership studies in view of new knowledge and understanding of alternative research data and analytical methods. It is not the intent of the paper to suggest that current research methodologies are no longer valid. On the contrary, the corpus knowledge of current social science research methodologies practiced, taught, and learned through the past three decades cannot be dismissed lightly. Instead of proposing to reframe educational leadership studies, the main purpose of this paper is to explore and propose complementary research methodologies that will open up greater opportunities for research investigation. These opportunities are linked to the functions of adopting alternate analytical research tools.

7.2 What Are the Dominant Methodologies Adopted in Educational Leadership Research?

Educational leadership research adopts a spectrum of methods that conform to the characteristics of disciplined inquiry. Cronbach and Suppes ( 1969 ) defined disciplined inquiry as “conducted and reported in such a way that the argument can be painstakingly examined” (p. 15). What this means is that any data collected and interpreted through reasoning and arguments must be capable of withstanding careful scrutiny by another research member in the field.

This section looks at the disciplined inquiry methods adopted and implemented in the last thirty years that have contributed to the current body of knowledge on educational leadership and management. The pragmatic rationale to impose a time frame for the review is that instructional leadership was conceptualized in the 1980s, followed by transformational leadership and in recent years, distributed leadership. The purpose of this review is to identify, if possible, all quantitative and qualitative methods adopted. The next section provides a broad overview of the three educational leadership theories/models. This will anchor the discussion on alternate research methodologies that will reframe and expand the research on these theories/models.

7.2.1 Instructional, Transformational, and Distributed Leadership

Instructional leadership became popular during the early 1980s. There are two general concepts of instructional leadership – one is narrow while the other is broad (Sheppard, 1996 ). The narrow concept defines instructional leadership as actions that are directly related to teaching and learning, such as conducting classroom observations. This was the earlier conceptualization of instructional leadership in the 1980s, and it was normally applied within the context of small, poor urban primary schools (Hallinger, 2003 ; Meyer & Macmillan, 2001 ). The broad concept of instructional leadership includes all leadership activities that indirectly affect student learning, including school culture, and time-tabling procedures by impacting the quality of curriculum and instruction delivered to students. This conceptualization acknowledges that principals, as instructional leaders, have a positive impact on students’ learning, but that this influence is mediated (Goldring & Greenfield, 2002 ; Leithwood & Jantzi, 2000 ; Southworth, 2002 ). A comprehensive model of instructional leadership was developed by Hallinger and Murphy ( 1985 , 1986 ). This dominant model proposes three dimensions of the instructional leadership construct: defining the school’s mission, managing the instructional program, and promoting a positive school-learning climate. Hallinger and Heck ( 1996 ), in their comprehensive review of research on school leadership, concluded that instructional leadership was the most commonly researched. The authors’ focused review found that over 125 empirical studies employed this construct between 1980 and 2000 (Hallinger, 2003 ). In the last decade, instructional leadership has regained prominence and attention in part because of the lack of empirical studies in non-Western societies. This can also be inferred from the notion that leadership in curriculum and instruction still matters and remains the core business of schools.

Transformational leadership was introduced as a theory in the general leadership literature during the 1970s and 1980s (e.g. Bass, 1997 ; Howell & Avolio, 1993 ). Transformational leadership focuses on developing the organisation’s capacity and commitment to innovate (Leithwood & Duke, 1999 ). Correspondingly, transformational leadership is supposed to enable change to occur (Leithwood, Tomlinson, & Genge, 1996 ). Amongst the leadership models, transformational leadership is the one most explicitly linked to the implementation of change. It quickly gained popularity among educational leadership researchers during the 1990s in part because of reports of underperforming schools as a result of top-down policy driven changes in the 1980s. Sustained interest during the 1990s was also fuelled by the perception that the instructional leadership model is a directive model (Hallinger & Heck, 1996 ). In a pointed statement of the extent of instructional leadership research, Hallinger ( 2003 , p. 343) emphatically notes that “The days of the lone instructional leader are over. We no longer believe that one administrator can serve as the instructional leader for the entire school without the substantial participation of other educators.” From the beginning of the 2000s, a series of review studies comparing the effects of transformational leadership and instructional leadership, the ‘over-prescriptivity’ of findings, the limited methodologies adopted, and a lack of international research contributed to the waning interest in transformational leadership (Robinson et al., 2008 , Robinson, 2010 ).

Interest in distributed leadership took off at around 2000. Gronn ( 2002 ), and Spillane, Halverson, and Diamond ( 2004 ) are leading the current debate on distributed leadership as observed by Harris ( 2005 ). Gronn’s concept of distributed leadership is a “purely theoretical exploration” (p. 258) while Spillane’s and his various colleagues’ work is based on empirical studies that are still ongoing. When Gronn and Spillane first proposed their concepts of distributed leadership, what was revolutionary was a shift from focusing on the leadership actions of an individual as a sole agent to analyzing the ‘concertive’ or ‘conjoint’ actions of multiple individuals interacting and leading within a specific social and cultural context (Bennett, Wise, Woods, & Harvey, 2003 ; Gronn, 2002 , 2009 ; Spillane, 2005 ; Woods, 2004 ). In addition, Spillane, Diamond, and Jita ( 2003 ) explicitly relate their concept of distributed leadership to instructional improvement, which, therefore, catalyzes the interest among researchers to explore the constructs in school improvement and effectiveness. From 2000 to 2016, a focused search for empirical studies that employed the constructs of distributed leadership yielded over 97 studies.

7.2.2 Assessment of the Dominant Methodologies in Educational Leadership Research and Courses

The purpose of this review is to identify, if possible, all the quantitative and qualitative methods adopted. This review is based on a combined search for the three educational leadership theories in schools using the following search parameters:

Keywords in database search: “instructional leadership” OR “transformational leadership” OR “distributed leadership”

Limiters: Full Text; Scholarly (Peer-reviewed) Journals; Published Date: 1980–2016

Narrow by Methodology: quantitative study

Narrow by Methodology: qualitative study

Search modes: Find all search terms

Interface: EBSCOhost Research Databases

Database: Academic Search Premier; British Education Index; Education Source; ERIC

The search yielded over 672 empirical studies employing the constructs of instructional leadership, transformational leadership, and distributed leadership. As the purpose of the review is to identify all quantitative and qualitative methods adopted, only that information was extracted. The researchers carefully read the relevant sections of the 672 studies pertaining to methodologies and extracted that information. An overview of the results is given in Tables 7.1 and 7.2 .

The range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and analytical tools found in the review was categorized as follows:

Quantitative Analyses:

Univariate Analysis:

The analysis refers to a single variable represented by frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation.

Bivariate Analysis:

This type of analysis examines how two variables are related to each other, represented by ANOVA, Pearson product moment correlations, correlation and regression.

Multivariate Analysis:

These are statistical procedures that are used to reach conclusions about associations between two or more variables. Representations of inferential statistics include regression coefficients, MANOVA, MANCOVA, two-group comparison (t-test), factor analysis, path analysis, hierarchical linear modelling, and others.

Qualitative Analyses:

Content Analysis:

Content analysis is the systematic analysis of the text by adopting rules that can separate the text into units of analysis, such as assumptions, effects, enablers and barriers. The text is obtained through document search, artifacts, interviews, field notes, or observations. The transcribed data are converted into protocols followed by categories. Coding schemes are then applied to determine themes and their relations.

Hermeneutic Analysis:

With this type of analysis, researchers interpret the subjective meaning of a given text within its socio-historic context. Methods adopted extend beyond texts to encompass all forms of communication, verbal and non-verbal. An iterative analyses method between interpretation of text and holistic understanding of the context is adopted in order to develop a fuller understanding of the phenomenon.

Grounded-theory Analysis:

This is an inductive technique of interpreting recorded data about a social phenomenon. Data acquired through participant observation, in-depth interviews, focus groups, narratives of audio/video recordings, and documents are interpreted based on empirical data. A systematic coding technique involving open coding, axial coding, and selective coding is rigorously applied. These coding techniques aim to identify key ideas, categories, and causal relations among categories, finally arriving at a theoretical saturation where additional data and analyses do not yield any marginal change within the core categories.

On the one hand, these results show that a wide range of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies are applied and that the field is open to a lot of diversity in methodologies, but, on the other hand, the results also show that complexity methodology is missing completely.

One of the purposes of this paper is to identify current research methodologies that have been adopted for the past decades. The following review is to ascertain whether current research methodologies adopted are also reinforced and transmitted by the research courses offered by top universities. A search was conducted that specifically looked at graduate research courses taught in educational leadership and management. The following search parameters were used:

Identify the top 20 universities that offer graduate courses in educational leadership and management.

QS ranking of universities is chosen over Times ranking because QS ranking is sorted by subject: Education and searchable by educational leadership.

Representation of Western and Eastern universities in order to provide a representation of universities globally.

The findings are presented in Table 7.3 . This table is remarkably similar to Tables 7.1 and 7.2 but with more details of the topics in educational leadership research methodologies. The previously presented findings of the methodologies used in educational leadership research strongly suggest that the research methodologies currently adopted in educational leadership studies are reinforced by research courses taught at the top universities. Indeed, the transmission and application of research skills is a critical and essential component of graduate programmes. This transmission of knowledge and practice is strengthened by the enshrined supervisor-supervisee relationship where cognitive modelling takes place through discourse, reflection, guidance, and inquiry. The one-to-one supervision has the very powerful effect of instilling expectations, cultivating habits, and shaping practices that contribute to a competent researcher identity. It is noteworthy that the transmission-based form has emanated from and is continued in the paradigm of social science. Table 7.3 presents the research courses that are currently taught at the top 20 universities offering educational leadership research.

7.3 Limitations of the Dominant Methodologies in Educational Leadership Research and Courses

The range of methodologies and analytical tools reviewed above are disciplined inquiry methods in social science. Social sciences are the science of people or collections of people, such as groups, firms, societies, or economies, and their individual or collective behaviours; social sciences can be classified into different disciplines, such as psychology (the science of human behaviours), sociology (the science of social groups), and economics (the science of firms, markets, and economies). This section is not intended to wade into epistemological and ontological debates within the social sciences. It is also not possible to have an in-depth discussion on social science methodologies within the constraints of this paper. To highlight ongoing discussions about limitations of social science research is the focus of this paper.

Educational leadership is not a discipline by itself, but a field of study that involves events, factors, phenomena, organizations, topics, issues, people, and processes related to leadership in educational settings. This field of study adopts social science inquiry methods. The review of research methodologies, as depicted in Tables 7.1 and 7.2 , strongly suggests that educational leadership research subscribed to the functionalist paradigm (Bhattacherjee, 2012 ). The functionalist paradigm suggests that social order or patterns can be understood in terms of their functional components. Therefore, the logical steps will involve breaking down a problem into small components and studying one or more components in detail using objectivist techniques, such as surveys and experimental research. It also encompasses an in-depth investigation of the phenomenon in order to uncover themes, categories, and sub-categories.

Educational leadership studies, using quantitative methods, aim to minimize subjectivity. Hence, the constant advocacy of good sampling techniques and a large sample size in order to represent a population where the sample is reported by mean, standard deviation, and normal distribution, among others. Qualitative methods rest upon the assumption that there is no single reality for events, phenomena, and meaning in the social world. Adopting a disciplined analytical method based on dense contextualized data in order to arrive at an acceptable interpretation of complex social phenomena is advocated. The following section will discuss several common limitations of social science research.

7.3.1 Population, Sampling, and Normal Distributions

Based on the review, quantitative and qualitative methods of social science in educational leadership research can be inferred to subscribe to the goals of identifying and analyzing data that can inform about a population. Researchers aim to collect data that either maximize generalization to the population in the case of quantitative methods or provide explanation and interpretation of a phenomenon that represents a population in the case of qualitative methods. In most cases, definitive conclusions of a population are rarely possible in social sciences because data collection of an entire population is seldom achieved.

Therefore, researchers apply sampling procedures where the mean of the sampling distribution will approximate the mean of the true population distribution, which has come to be known as normal distribution. This concept has set the parameters as to how data has been collected and analyzed over many years. It has become widely accepted that most data ought to be near an average value, with a small number of values that are smaller, and the other extreme where values are larger. To calculate these values, the probability density function (PDF), or density of a continuous random variable, is used. It is a function that describes the relative likelihood for this random variable to take on a given value.

A simple example will help to explain this: If 20 school principals were randomly selected and arranged within a room according to their heights, one would most likely see a normal distribution: with a few principals who are the shortest on the left, the majority in the middle, and a few principals who are the tallest on the right. This has come to be known as the normal curve or probability density function.

Most quantitative research involves the use of statistical methods presuming independence among data points and Gaussian “normal” distributions (Andriani & McKelvey, 2007 ). The Gaussian distribution is characterized by its stable mean and finite variance (Torres-Carrasquillo et al., 2002 ). Suppose that in the example above the shortest principal is 1.6 m. Given the question, “What is the probability of a principal in the line being shorter than 1.5m?”, the answer would be ‘0’. From the total number of principals in the room, there is no probability to find someone who is shorter than 1.6 m. But if the question were, “What is the probability of a principal in the line being 1.7m?”, then the answer could be 0.2 (i.e. 10%, or 2 persons). Hence, this explains the finite variance, which is dependent upon the sample size. Normal distributions assume few values far from the mean and, therefore, the mean is representative of the population. Even largest deviations, which are exceptionally rare, are still only about a factor of two from the mean in either direction and are well-characterized by quoting a simple standard deviation (Clauset, Shalizi, & Newman, 2009 ). This property of the normal curve, in particular the notion that extreme ends of variance are less likely to occur, has significant implications as will be discussed.

Is the normal distribution the standard to determine acceptable findings in educational research? One possible answer is a study done by Micceri ( 1989 ). His investigation involved obtaining secondary data from 46 different test sources and 89 different populations, and that included psychometric and achievement/ability measures. He managed to obtain analyzed data from 440 researchers; he then submitted these secondary data to analysis and found that they were significantly non-normal at the alpha.01 significance level. In fact, his findings showed that tail weights, exponential-level asymmetry, severe digit preferences, multi-modalities, and modes external to the mean/median interval were evident. His conclusion was that the underlying tenets of normality-assuming statistics appear fallacious for the psychometric measures. Micceri ( 1989 , p. 16) added that “one must conclude that the robustness literature is at best indicative.”

In another well-cited article in the Review of Educational Research, Walberg, Strykowski, Rovai, and Hung ( 1984 , p. 87) state that “considerable evidence shows that positive-skew distributions characterize many objects and fundamental processes in biology, crime, economics, demography, geography, industry, information and library sciences, linguistics, psychology, sociology, and the production and utilization of knowledge.” Perhaps the most pointed statement made by Walberg et al., that “commonly reported univariate statistics such as means, standard deviations, and ranges – as well as bivariate and multivariate statistics […] and regression weights – are generally useless in revealing skewness” is worthy to note.

What are the implications and limitations of the normal distribution in the population? There are at least two limitations. First, reliance on normal distribution statistics puts a heavy burden on assumptions and procedures. The procedures of randomness and equilibrium have powerful influences on how theories are built and also determine how research questions are formulated. In other words, findings may be rejected that could otherwise be informative because they do not meet the normal distribution litmus. The explanation of the normal distribution suggests that any events or phenomena at both (extreme) ends of the normal curve are highly unlikely – consequently, we typically reject those findings. Research on real-world phenomena, e.g. social networks, banking networks, and world-wide web networks, has established that events in the tails are more likely to happen than under the assumption of a normal distribution (Mitzenmacher, 2004 ). Many real-world networks (world-wide web, social networks, professional networks, etc.) have what is known as long-tailed distribution instead of normal distribution.

Second, independent variables contributing to a normal distribution assume that the variables are static. The reality is that in education (and educational leadership) the variables are dynamic. This dynamic function comes from past and even future environmental and individual influences. An example is that of being fortunate to have initial advantages, such as enrolling in a university study (past influence), working with eminent researchers (preferential attachment), obtaining well-funded research projects, and having publication opportunities (environmental influence), combine multiplicatively over time and accumulate to produce a highly skewed number of publications. The distribution would not conform to the normal curve for researchers when past influence, preferential attachment, and environmental influences are taken into consideration. At the moment, the large majority of reviewed studies, using inferential statistics of mean and standard deviations, does not account for such dynamic influences upon the variables. Is there an alternative that could complement this limitation?

7.3.2 Linearity in a Predominantly Closed System

The dominant analytical tools adopted in educational leadership research involve relational and associational analyses of the effects of leadership actions and interventions in schools. The focus is on identifying variables, factors, and their associations in providing explanations of successful practices. The central concept of relations is based on the assumption of linearity. Linearity means two things: Proportionality between cause and effect, and superposition (Nicolis, Prigogine, & Nocolis, 1989 ). According to this principle, complex problems can be broken down into simpler problems, which can be solved individually. That is, the effects of interventions can be reconstructed by summing up the effects of the single causes acting on the single variable. This, then, allows establishing causality efficiently.

However, this assumption forces researchers to accept that systems are in equilibrium. The first implication is that the number of possible outcomes in a system is limited (because of the limited number of variables within a closed system). The second implication is that moments of instability, such as through an intervention from the school leader, are brief, whereas the duration of the stability of the final outcome is long. In that case, one can measure effects or establish relations, and accept its data value as a true indication of the cause of intervention. For this to be true, however, the many variables in the school (as a closed system) must be assumed to be independent. Other possibilities to this assumption are to have interdependence, mutual causality, and the occurrence of possible external influences in the larger system (e.g. political or economic change).

The goal of school leadership is to improve student achievement. Student achievement is demonstrable, even though there are considerable differences of opinion about how to define improvement in learning or achievement (Larsen-Freeman, 1997 ). This is because much research assumes that the classroom is a closed system with defined boundaries, variables, and predictable outcomes. This mechanistic linear view neglects students as active constructors of meaning with diverse views, needs, and goals (Doll Jr, 1989 ). It is debatable to draw the association directly that teachers’ pedagogy results in learning. Luo, Hogan, Yeung, Sheng, and Aye ( 2014 ) found that Singapore students attributed their academic success mainly to internal regulations (effort, interest, and study skills), followed by teachers’ help, teachers’ ability, parents’ help, and tuition classes. While the study appears to support linearity and attribute students’ academic success to identified variables, there is still much less certainty about other aspects, such as the interaction effects among the variables. The use of generalized linearity cannot account for the interactions among students – how they motivate each other, how they compete, and how they derive the drive to perform. Researchers studying student achievement tend to seek to reduce and consolidate variables in order to discover order while denying irregularity.

Due to its simplicity, linearity became almost universally adopted as the true assumption along with its corresponding measures in educational leadership research. School improvement, student learning, staff capacity, and efficacy are much more complex than directly assigned proportionality between factors and outcomes, and identifying superposition. Cziko ( 1989 , p. 17) asserted that “complex human behaviour of the type that interests educational researchers is by its nature unpredictable if not indeterminate, a view that raises serious questions about the validity of quantitative, experimental, positivist approach to educational research.” In general, school improvement ought to include a notion of and methodology for describing non-linear cognitive systems or processes and to accept that research questions cannot be simplified to find answers from regression models alone, particularly research questions that involve non-specified outcome variables. For instance, school success, in addition to internal variables and factors, simultaneously includes influence by changes in government policies and conflicting demands of multiple stakeholders (e.g. economic and society-related stakeholders). Relying only on the linearity within a closed system will limit any understanding of such interdependencies and mutual influences. Therefore, a holistic and more complete understanding of social phenomena, such as why some school systems in some countries are more successful than others, requires an appreciation and application of research methods that include the elements of open and closed systems. The alternative to linearity – non-linearity, emergence, and self-organization – as an alternate view of reality shall be discussed in the fourth part of this chapter.

7.3.3 Explanatory, Explorative, and Descriptive Research

One of the research aims in social science is the understanding of subjectively meaningful experiences. The school of thought that stresses the importance of interpretation and observation in understanding the social situation in schools is also known as ‘interpretivism.’ This is an integral part of qualitative research methodologies and analytical tools adopted in educational leadership research. The interrelatedness of different aspects of staff members’ work (teaching, professional development), interactions with students (learning, guidance, etc.), cultural factors, and others, form a very important focus of qualitative research. Qualitative research practice has reflected this in the use of explanatory, explorative, and descriptive methods, which attempt to provide a holistic understanding of research participants’ views and actions in the context of their lives overall.

Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, and Ormston ( 2013 ) provide clear explanations for the following research practices: Exploratory research is undertaken to explore an issue or a topic. It is particularly useful in helping to identify a problem, clarify the nature of a problem or define the issues involved. It can be used to develop propositions and hypotheses for further research, to look for new insights or to reach a greater understanding of an issue. For example, one might conduct exploratory research to understand how staff members react to new curriculum plans or ideas for developing holistic achievement, or what teachers mean when they talk about ‘constructivism,’ or to help define what is meant by the term ‘white space.’

A significant number of qualitative studies reviewed in this paper are about description as well as exploration – finding the answers to the Who? What? Where? When? How? and How many? questions. While exploratory research can provide description, the purpose of descriptive research is to answer more clearly defined research questions. Descriptive research aims to provide a perspective for social phenomena or sets of experiences.

Explanatory research addresses the Why questions: Why do staff members value empowerment? Why do some staff members perceive the school climate negatively and others do not? Why do some students have a high self-motivation and others do not? What might explain this? Explanatory, in particular qualitative research assists in answering these types of questions, which allows ruling out rival explanations, guidance to come to valid conclusions, and developing causal explanations.

An obvious limitation of explanatory, explorative, and descriptive educational leadership research is that this is done after an intervention; another limitation constitutes the mere focus on outcomes. If research tapped into this process before interventions were implemented, then two reasonable questions would be:

Will an intended school vision or policy have the desired positive reception among staff members?

How can one predict the kind of reception or perception staff members might have?

The answers would be useful for school leaders in order to initiate intervention measures before serious damage occurs. It would be most useful to be able to extrapolate those answers to the larger system, where policy makers are interested in predicting likely outcomes of the policy prior to its implementation. An example of this kind of research is the development of models known as simulations. Computer simulation is known as the third disciplined scientific methodology. This concept will be discussed in the latter section on alternative methodologies.

A summary of the limitations of current methodologies in educational leadership is concisely captured by Leithwood and Jantzi ( 1999 , p. 471): “Finally, even the most sophisticated quantitative designs used in current leadership effects research treat leadership as exogenous variable influencing students, sometimes directly, but mostly indirectly, through school conditions, moderated by student background characteristics. The goal of such research usually is to validate a specific form of leadership by demonstrating significant effects on the school organization and on students. The logic of such designs assumes that influence flows in one direction – from the leader to the student, however tortuous the path might be. But the present study hints at a far more complex set of interactions between leadership, school conditions, and family educational culture in the production of student outcomes.”

7.4 The Current Landscape of Schooling

7.4.1 complexity of schools: systems and structures.

Murphy ( 2015 ) examined the evolution of education from the industrial era in the USA (1890–1920) to the post-industrial era of the 1980s. He concluded that post-industrial school organizations have fundamentally shifted in roles, relationships, and responsibilities. The shift is seen in the blurring of distinctions between administrators and teachers; general (expanded) roles instead of specialization, where specialization is no longer held in high regard, as compared to the industrial era, with greater flexibility and adaptability. In terms of structures, the traditional hierarchical organizational structures are giving way to structures that are flatter.

This shift in roles, relationships, and responsibilities has (also) contributed to the increasing complexity of schools. The direct and indirect involvement between and among a growing circle of stakeholders within the school and between government, employers, and communities clearly support the view that schooling is no longer seen as a closed system. It is both a closed and open system (Darling-Hammond, 2010 ; Hargreaves & Shirley, 2009 ; Leithwood & Day, 2007 ). Leithwood and Day ( 2007 ) state that “Schools are dynamic organizations, and change in ways that cannot be predicted,” as they reviewed leadership studies from eight different countries. Open systems are “a system in exchange of a matter with its environment” (Von Bertalanffy, 1968 , p. 141). Schools as an open system are therefore seen as part of a much larger network rather than an independent, self-standing entity.

Thus, to understand the processes still existing within the schools, it is critical to study the interrelations between those entities and their connections to the whole system. The interrelationships among stakeholders are non-linear and discontinuous, so even small changes in variables can have a significant impact on the whole system. This notion of small change leading to global change is reflected in the example of the current ‘world-class education system’ movement. From countries as diverse as the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, and the United States of America, a common theme found in education reform documents is the term “world-class education.” This term has become widely associated with comparative results on international tests, such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which purports to measure certain aspects of educational quality. Indeed, the term is frequently used by countries that have attained high scores in these international tests as a strong indicator of being world-class. This seemingly small aspect of change (i.e. the comparing of achievements in Mathematics and Science) has impacted developing and developed nations in reforming their education system and in calling their ongoing education reforms as moving towards a ‘world-class education system.’

Thus, interrelationships in an open system require sophisticated analyses of their systemic nature. A reductionist and linear sequential relationship investigation would not be sufficient in order to bring about further change. To remain of value with the current trends, educational leadership researchers, who adopt complexity methodology, would help practitioners shaping the future by creating an environment of valid knowledge.

7.4.2 Shared and Distributed Leadership

The idea of distributed leadership connects well with the trend towards greater decentralization (since the 1980s) and school autonomy through which school leaders are expected to play a greater role in leadership beyond the school borders and requires them to make budgetary decisions, foster professional capacity development, and play a role in the design of school buildings, and many more aspects (Glatter & Kydd, 2003 ; Lee, Hallinger, & Walker, 2012 ; Nguyen, Ng, & Yap, 2017 ; Spillane, Halverson, & Diamond, 2001 ).

A core function of leadership – distributed leadership included – is decision-making. The most popular discussion of decision-making of the twenty-first century emanates from the concept of decentralization. Decentralization includes delegating responsibilities, practice of distributed leadership, and practice of distributed or shared instructional leadership (Lee et al., 2012 ; Nguyen et al., 2017 ; Spillane et al., 2001 ).

Glatter and Kydd ( 2003 ) identified two models of decentralization, which have important implications for school leaders, namely local empowerment and school empowerment. In local empowerment, the transfer of responsibilities takes place from the state to the districts, including schools with reciprocal rights and obligations. Therefore, school leaders are expected to play a greater role in leadership beyond school borders. Within the context of school empowerment or autonomy, decision-making by the school has been a consistent movement since the 1980s. The increase in autonomy required the school leaders to make budgetary changes, promote professional capacity development, rethink the design of school buildings, and consider many more aspects.

How might national and state policy frameworks (including curriculum and assessment, school quality and improvement) successfully engage and interact with key activities and characteristics of the school (including learning focus, structure, culture, and decision-making capacity)? What considerations must be taken when formulating policies of curriculum and implementation of policies within the classroom (class size, teaching approaches, and learning resources)? How does one optimize the capacity and work of school leaders to influence and promote effective learning? How might one be informed of the processes of influence beyond relying on interpretive and explanatory qualitative studies? Indeed, any attempt to design and carry out a comprehensive analysis of the ways in which leaders influence and promote successful outcomes through their decision-making will require specific methods and procedures beyond the traditional research methods (Leithwood & Levin, 2005 ). In particular, distributed leadership research stands to gain the most if relevant research methodologies were adopted that could be informative of the workings/actions of school leadership.

7.5 What Are the Alternatives to Current Social Science Methodologies for Educational Leadership?

As stated earlier, it is important to ensure that any alternative research methodologies proposed must adhere to the characteristic of disciplined inquiry. To further expand on this characteristic, Cronbach and Suppes stated that “Disciplined inquiry does not necessarily follow well-established, formal procedures. Some of the most excellent inquiry is free-ranging and speculative […] trying what might seem to be a bizarre combination of ideas and procedures…” (Cronbach & Suppes, 1969 , p. 16).

Drawing from the statement by Cronbach and Suppes, there are two other important points about disciplined inquiry that must be addressed here. Disciplined inquiry is not solely focussed on establishing facts. The methods of observation and inquiry are critical in defining which selection of facts of a phenomenon are found. Establishing facts can be done through a selection of observations and/or data collection methods. This point is not meant to raise the philosophical argument of positivism and post-positivism although it may be implied. Rather, from a pragmatic perspective, and to adhere to the characteristic of disciplined inquiry, one should be open to different types of observations and data collection methodologies, and thus different types of facts, as long as the definition of disciplined inquiry is adhered to. To further support this view, it must be understood that the field of educational leadership is not a discipline by itself. As in any field of study, one should not be limited to a single discipline to dictate and direct the focus and forms of studies. Instead, procedures and perspectives of different disciplines, such as biology, chemistry, economics, geography, politics, anthropology, sociology, and others might bear on the research questions that can be investigated.

7.5.1 Brief Introduction to Complexity Science from an Educational Leadership Perspective

Complexity science appeared in the twentieth century in response to criticism of the inadequacy of the reductionist analytical thinking model in helping to understand systems and the intricacies of organizations. Complexity science does not refer to a single discipline; like in social science, a family of disciplines (psychology, sociology, economics, etc.) adopt methodologies to study society-related phenomena. Complexity science includes the disciplines of non-linear dynamical systems, networks, synergetics, and complex adaptive systems, and others.

The cornerstone concept of complexity science is the complex system. Complex systems have distinctive characteristics of self-organization, adaptive ability, emergent properties, non-linear interactions, and dynamic and network-like structures (Bar-Yam, 2003 ; Capra, 1996 ; Cilliers, 2001 ). By looking at the complex system of an organization, leadership should, consequently, be viewed in a different light. A complex system is a ‘functional whole,’ consisting of interdependent and variable parts. In other words, unlike a conventional system (e.g. an aircraft), the parts need not have fixed relationships, fixed behaviours, or fixed quantities. Thus, their individual functions may also be undefined in traditional terms. Despite the apparent tenuousness of this concept, these systems form the majority of our world, and include living organisms and social systems, along with many inorganic natural systems (e.g. rivers). The following is a brief introduction of key concepts of complexity science. These concepts are also the methodological assumptions for complexity science.

7.5.2 Emergence

Emergence is a key concept in understanding how different levels are linked in a system. In the case of leadership, it is about how influence happens at the individual, structural, and system levels. These different levels exist simultaneously, and one is not necessarily more important than the other, rather they are recognized as co-existing and linked.

Each level has different patterns and can be subjected to different kinds of theorization. Patterns at ‘higher’ levels can emerge in ways that are hard to predict at the ‘lower’ levels. The challenge (long-acknowledged in leadership research) is to understand how different levels interact and affect school outcome or school improvement. This question of the nature of ‘emergence’ has been framed in a variety of ways, including those of “macro-micro linkage,” “individual and society,” the “problem of order,” and “structure, action and structuration” (Giddens, 1984 ). In this paper, Giddens’ explanation of emergence as the relationship between the different levels through the “structure and agency” is adopted.

Giddens stated that the term “structure” referred generally to “rules and resources.” These properties make it possible for social practices to exist across time and space and that lends them ‘systemic’ form (Giddens, 1984 , p. 17). Giddens referred to agents as groups or individuals who draw upon these structures to perform social actions through embedded memory, called memory traces. Memory traces are, thus, the vehicle by which social actions are carried out. Structure is also, however, the result of these social practices.

7.5.3 Non-linearity

Non-linearity refers to leadership effects or outcomes that are more complicated than being assigned to a single source or single chain of events. Influence and outcome are considered linear if one can attribute cause and effect. Non-linearity in leadership, however, means that the outcome is not proportional to the input and that the outcome does not conform to the principle of additivity, i.e. it may involve synergistic reactions, in which the whole is not equal to the sum of its parts.

One way to understand non-linearity is about how small events lead to large scale changes in systems. Within the natural sciences, the example often cited (or imagined) is that of a small disturbance in the atmosphere in one location, perhaps as small as the flapping of a butterfly’s wings, tipping the balance of other systems, leading ultimately to a storm on the other side of the globe (Capra, 1997 ).

7.5.4 Self-Organization

Self-organization happens naturally as a result of non-linear interactions among staff members in the school (Fontana & Ballati, 1999 ). As the word describes, there is no central authority guiding and imposing the interactions. Staff members adapt to changing goals and situations by adopting communication patterns that are not centrally controlled by an authority. In the process of working towards a goal (e.g. solving a leadership problem), self-organizing staff members tend to exhibit creativity and novelty as they have to quickly adapt and to find ways and means to solve the problem and achieve the goal.

This particular phenomenon is best observed in distributed leadership (Ng & Ho, 2012 ; Yuen, Chen, & Ng, 2015 ). As a result of interactions among members, the emergence of new patterns in conversation happens. This is an important aspect of self-organization. When there are no new patterns in conversations, there are no new ideas and no novel ways to solve problems. It must be noted that new patterns of conversation depend upon the responsiveness of its members towards each other and their awareness of each other’s ideas and responses. As a result of the behaviour of interacting members, learning and adaptation, i.e. novel ways of solving problems emerge.

As stated earlier, complexity science is interdisciplinary and as such, there are multiple methods and ways to study complexity phenomena. It is nearly impossible to delve into these methodologies in a meaningful manner within the scope of one paper.

The intention with this paper is to propose alternative social science methodologies and analytical tools to perform educational leadership research. The following section will highlight one of the methods used in complexity science research that provides an alternative to the limitations identified in current research methodologies in educational leadership research.

7.6 Social Network Analysis as an Alternative to Normal Distribution and Linearity

Social Network Analysis (Scott, 2011 ; Wasserman & Faust, 1994 ) focuses on relational structures that characterize a network of people. These relational structures are represented by graphs of individuals and their social relations, and indices of structure, which analyze the network of social relationships on the basis of characteristics such as neighbourhood, density, centrality, cohesion, and others. The Social Network Analysis-method has been used to investigate educational issues, such as teacher professional networks (Baker-Doyle & Yoon, 2011 ; Penuel, Riel, Krause, & Frank, 2009 ), the spread of educational innovations (Frank, Zhao, & Borman, 2004 ), and peer influences on youth behaviour (Ennett et al., 2006 ). Table 7.4 provides examples of the types of data collected, and the analytical methods and analytical tools used in social network analysis.

In network analysis, indicators of centrality identify the most important vertices within a graph. Two separate measures of degree centrality, namely in-degree and out-degree, are used. In-degree is a count of the number of ties directed to the node (agent/individual) and out-degree is the number of ties that the node (agent/individual) directs to others. When ties are associated to positive aspects, such as friendship or collaboration, in-degree is often interpreted as a form of popularity and out-degree as a form of gregariousness.

For example, the study of Bird and colleagues (Bird, Gourley, Devanbu, Gertz, & Swaminathan, 2006 ) introduces social network analysis and the evidence of long-tailed distribution, which is a distinctive digression from the traditional social science study and the normal distribution associated with it. The evidence from social network measures in this research suggests that “developers who actually commit changes, play much more significant roles in the e-mail community than non-developers” (Bird et al., 2006 , p. 142). What this conclusion alludes to is that knowledgeable and active developers who demonstrate their ability by actively responding and making changes (out-degree) based on feedback are more often contacted by e-mail queries from other users.

7.6.1 How Does Social Network Analysis Contribute to Educational Leadership Research?

The usefulness of social network analysis is reflected in a study (co-conducted by the author) on instructional leadership practices in primary schools in a centralized system where hierarchical structures are in place (Nguyen et al., 2017 ). It is noteworthy that the hierarchical structure’s inherent reliance on a ‘supreme leader’ is greatly mitigated by the emergence of heterarchical elements. In brief, hierarchical structures, on the one hand, are vertical top-down control and reporting structures. Heterarchical structures, on the other hand, are horizontal. The findings revealed that at the teachers’ and other key personnel’s horizontal levels of hierarchy, spontaneous interactions and collaborations take place within a group and amongst groups of teachers. Through these horizontal professional interactions, individuals exert reciprocal influences on one another, with the minimal effects of authority power. In this structure, distributed instructional leadership appears to be deliberately practiced. Key personnel and teachers work in collaborative teams and are supported by organizational structures, initiated by the principals. This is where various instructional improvement programmes and strategies are initiated, implemented, and led by staff members. This would be highly impossible, if the principal practices were heavily based on hierarchical instructional leadership.

This study implies that decision-making on instructional improvement programmes is rigorously and actively practiced by teachers at the heterarchical level. Decision-making involves getting support for resources and approval from authorities over the teachers. In an organizational hierarchical structure, it would be the authority immediately above the teachers - the Head of Department, followed by the Vice Principal, and finally the Principal. Typically, such a reporting and resource seeking structure would be ineffective in creating instructional improvement programmes. If one was to redo the study and adopt social network analysis measures, how would the findings be presented? The figures below are hypothetically generated to provide a possible way to interpret hierarchical and heterarchical structures: Fig. 7.1 shows a social network representation, which provides an alternative way to represent hierarchy. The central (purple dot) represents the Principal, while the connected red dots to the Principal are the Head of Departments. The Head of Departments then oversees Subject Heads and finally teachers. Implying from our study, where heterarchical elements are exhibited, social network representation will most plausibly provide the means to represent the elements in Fig. 7.1 .

Expected and actual reporting and decision-making pathways in managing teaching and learning

Note: In B, T1 = perceived authority for immediate action (e.g. allocation of resources, ability to act); T2 = perceived trust; T3 = pilot curriculum project

What is immediately evident, is that the representation provides a more realistic way to look at social interactions involving decision-making. The connected dots among teachers could reveal who they interact most with. In addition, what would be most revealing is the emergence of how teachers in hybrid hierarchical and heterarchical structures make decisions. Specifically, the emergence of by-passing the constraints of a typical top-down hierarchical structure by directly getting support from centrality – the principal, who controls and provides resources and who also approves final decisions.

In summary, the discussion on one of the complexity science methodologies/social network analysis presents opportunities to reframe educational leadership research. It is now possible to ask research questions that are not bound by the constraints of current social science methodologies. Here are a number of questions using Social Network Analysis alone:

What is the local (indigenous) knowledge base of instructional leadership and how does it emerge?

How do different level leaders (Ministry of Education, Superintendents, Principals, etc.) shape the perception of curriculum policies in schools? (And – for specific local understanding – who are the influential personnel impacting curriculum and policy implementation?)

Examination of ties among school departments that affect school improvement: What are the implications for long-term strategy processes for school improvement in light of the complex and adaptive nature of departments?

What does engagement in decision-making look like?

How do aspects of relations within the network: structural (pattern of interaction, face-to-face interaction), affective (benevolence and trust), and cognitive (mutual knowledge about each other’s skills and knowledge, and shared systems of meaning) affect professional development and learning?

Will an intended school vision/policy enjoy the desired positive reception among staff members?

7.7 Conclusion

This chapter contains the review that social science methodologies and analytical tools have been consistently and almost universally adopted in educational leadership research for the last three decades. This paper also highlights a number of limitations of current social science methodologies. The alternative complexity science research methodologies proposed are not merely alternative or novel ways of examining the problems or issues encountered. What is more valuable is that these alternative methodologies bring with them their contrasting disciplinary roots and their corresponding (new) questions. The interest in the effects of educational leadership on school improvement can now be investigated by asking different research questions. One could, indeed, go deeper, wide-angle or zoom-in, and even make predictions by revisiting the basic question of “What do we wish to know about school improvement that we do not yet know enough about?”

By being open to alternative methodologies, one has nothing to lose but everything to gain in the scholastic pursuit of knowledge in the field of educational leadership and management. Researchers must avoid being educational leadership researchers who see the world merely from the perspectives that they have lived in; they should also avoid accepting these perspectives as the only perspectives without questions. The choice of research method or combination of methods affects the type of research questions asked (although, in practice, the questions are also often shaped by the researchers’ training and area of expertise). Ideally, one should not be constrained by methods before asking research questions. Research questions are the primary drivers of the quest for knowledge. This is the basis from which the most relevant methodologies are found that can answer research questions and provide researchers with the findings that can contribute to theory formation, knowledge building, and translation into practice. The author, therefore, proposes the following implications for practice and for research:

Introduce complexity science (and also other disciplines) as additional graduate research courses. One can still tap on the transmission-form of knowledge transfer and supervisor-supervisee platform.

Partner with established experts in the discipline of complexity science to leverage and speed up transfer of learning and research skills among educational leadership professors.

Engage in epistemological and ontological discussions (including generalizability of findings) on complexity theory – to deepen our understanding of the advantages and limitations of complexity science disciplined inquiries.

Expand educational leadership journals to accept findings and research that do not necessarily conform to social science methodologies alone.

Finally, reframing educational leadership research is an imperative in the light of diminishing researchable aspects due to the limitations of current methodologies. I, the author, want to reiterate that I do not advocate replacing existing social science methodologies. I acknowledge that social methodologies are still essential and vital. The full spectrum of social science research methodologies is needed to continue contributing to theory development in educational leadership and management. However, one also needs alternatives and complementary approaches to social science, such as complexity science methodologies for both theory development and theory building. The important thing to remember is that the questions come first and the methods follow.

Andriani, P., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Beyond Gaussian averages: Redirecting international business and management research toward extreme events and power laws. Journal of International Business Studies, 38 (7), 1212–1230.

Article   Google Scholar  

Baker-Doyle, K. J., & Yoon, S. A. (2011). In search of practitioner-based social capital: A social network analysis tool for understanding and facilitating teacher collaboration in a US-Based STEM professional Development program. Professional Development in Education, 37 (1), 75–93.

Bar-Yam, Y. (2003). Unifying principles in complex systems in converging technology (NBIC) for improving human performance. In M. C. Roco & W. S. Bainbridge (Eds.), Converging technologies for improving human performance: Nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science (pp. 380–409). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Google Scholar  

Bass, B. M. (1997). Does the transactional–transformational leadership paradigm transcend organizational and national boundaries? American Psychologist, 52 (2), 130.

Bennett, N., Wise, C., Woods, P., & Harvey, J. A. (2003). Distributed leadership . Available at: www.ncsl.org.uk/media/3C4/A2/distributed-leadership-literature-review.pdf . Accessed 28 July 2006.

Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social science research: Principles, methods, and practices . Textbook Collections, 3rd Global Text Project. Retrieved from http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3/

Bird, C., Gourley, A., Devanbu, P., Gertz, M., & Swaminathan, A. (2006, May). Mining email social networks. In Proceedings of the 2006 international workshop on mining software repositories (pp. 137-143). New York, NY: ACM.

Boyan, N. J. (1981). Follow the leader: Commentary on research in educational administration. Educational Researcher, 10 (2), 6–13. 21.

Capra, F. (1996). The web of life: A new scientific understanding of living systems (1st ed.). New York, NY: Anchor.

Capra, F. (1997). The name above the title: An autobiography . New York, NY: Da Capo Press.

Cilliers, P. (2001). Boundaries, hierarchies and networks in complex systems. International Journal of Innovation Management, 5 (2), 135–147.

Clauset, A., Shalizi, C. R., & Newman, M. E. (2009). Power-law distributions in empirical data. SIAM Review, 51 (4), 661–703.

Cronbach, L. J., & Suppes, P. (1969). Research for tomorrow’s schools: Disciplined inquiry for education . New York, NY: Macmillan.

Cziko, G. (1989). Unpredictability and indeterminism in human behavior: Arguments and implication for educational research. Educational Researcher, 18 , 17–25.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Teacher education and the American future. Journal of Teacher Education, 61 (1–2), 35–47.

Day, C., Sammons, P., Leithwood, K., Hopkins, D., Harris, A., Gu, Q., & Brown, E. (2010). Ten strong claims about successful school leadership . Nottingham, UK: The National College for School Leadership.

Dimmock, C. (2000). Globalisation and societal culture: Redefining schooling and school leadership in the twenty-first century. Compare, 30 (3), 1–6.

Dimmock, C., & Walker, A. (2005). Educational leadership: Culture and diversity . London, UK: Sage.

Book   Google Scholar  

Doll, W. E., Jr. (1989). Foundations for a post-modern curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 21 (3), 243–253.

Ennett, S. T., Bauman, K. E., Hussong, A., Faris, R., Foshee, V. A., Cai, L., & DuRant, R. H. (2006). The peer context of adolescent substance use: Findings from social network analysis. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16 (2), 159–186.

Fontana, W., & Ballati, S. (1999). Complexity. Complexity, 4 , 14–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0526(199901/02)4:3<14:AID-CPLX3>3.0.CO;2-O

Frank, K. A., Zhao, Y., & Borman, K. (2004). Social capital and the diffusion of innovations within organizations: The case of computer technology in schools. Sociology of Education, 77 (2), 148–171.

Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration . Oakland, CA: University of California Press.

Glatter, R., & Kydd, L. (2003). Best practice in educational leadership and management: Can we identify it and learn from it? Educational Management & Administration, 31 (3), 231–243.

Goldring, E., & Greenfield, W. (2002). Understanding the evolving concept of leadership to education: Roles, expectations, and dilemmas. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, 101 (1), 1–19.

Griffiths, D. E. (1959). Administrative theory . New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Griffiths, D. E. (1979). Intellectual turmoil in educational administration. Educational Administration Quarterly, 15 (3), 43–65.

Gronn, P. (2002). Distributed leadership as a unit of analysis. Leadership Quarterly, 13 , 423–451.

Gronn, P. (2009). From distributed to hybrid leadership practice. In Distributed leadership (pp. 197–217). Springer, Dordrecht.

Hallinger, P. (2003). Leading educational change: Reflections on the practice of instructional and transformational leadership. Cambridge Journal of Education, 33 (3), 329–351.

Hallinger, P. (2011). Leadership for learning: Lessons from 40 years of empirical research. Journal of Educational Administration, 49 (2), 125–142.

Hallinger, P. (2013). A conceptual framework for reviews of research in educational leadership and management. Journal of Educational Administration, 51 (2), 126–149.

Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (1996). Reassessing the principal’s role in school effectiveness: A review of empirical research, 1980–1995. Educational Administration Quarterly, 32 (1), 5–44.

Hallinger, P., & Murphy, J. (1985). Assessing the instructional management behavior of principals. The Elementary School Journal, 86 (2), 217–247.

Hallinger, P., & Murphy, J. F. (1986). The social context of effective schools. American Journal of Education , 328–355.

Hallinger, P., Walker, A. D., & Bajunid, I. A. (2005). Educational leadership in East Asia: Implications for education in a global society. UCEA Review, 1 , 1–4.

Hargreaves, A. P., & Shirley, D. L. (Eds.). (2009). The fourth way: The inspiring future for educational change . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Harris, A. (2005). OP-ED. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 37 (3), 255–265.

Howell, J. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1993). Transformational leadership, transactional leadership, focus of control, and support for innovation: Key predictors of consolidated business-unit performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78 (6), 891.

Larsen-Freeman, D. (1997). Chaos/complexity science and second language acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 18 (2), 141–165.

Lee, M., Hallinger, P., & Walker, A. (2012). A distributed perspective on instructional leadership in International Baccalaureate (IB) schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48 (4), 664–698.

Leithwood, K., & Day, C. (2007). Successful school leadership in times of change . Toronto, ON: Springer.

Leithwood, K., & Duke, D. (1999). A century’s quest to understand school leadership. In J. Murphy & K. Louis (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational administration (pp. 45–72). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (1999). Transformational school leadership effects: A replication. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 10 (4), 451–479.

Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2000). The effects of transformational leadership on organizational conditions and student engagement with school. Journal of Educational Administration, 38 (2), 112–129.

Leithwood, K., & Levin, B. (2005). Understanding leadership effects on pupil learning . Toronto, UK: UK Department of Skills and Education.

Leithwood, K., Tomlinson, D., & Genge, M. (1996). Transformational school leadership. In K. Leithwood, J. Chapman, D. Corson, P. Hallinger, & A. Hart (Eds.), International handbook of educational leadership and administration (pp. 785–840). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Luo, W., Hogan, D. J., Yeung, A. S., Sheng, Y. Z., & Aye, K. M. (2014). Attributional beliefs of Singapore students: Relations to self-construal, competence and achievement goals. Educational Psychology, 34 (2), 154–170.

MacBeath, J., & Cheng, Y. C. (2008). Leadership for learning. International perspective (pp. 17–40). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

Meyer, M. J., & Macmillan, R. B. (2001). The principal’s role in transition: Instructional leadership ain’t what it used to be. International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning, 5 (13), 1–14.

Micceri, T. (1989). The unicorn, the normal curve, and other improbable creatures. Psychological Bulletin, 105 (1), 156.

Mitzenmacher, M. (2004). A brief history of generative models for power law and lognormal distributions. Internet Mathematics, 1 (2), 226–251.

Mulford, B., & Silins, H. (2003). Leadership for organisational learning and improved student outcomes – What do we know? Cambridge Journal of Education, 33 (2), 175–195.

Murphy, J. (2015). Forces shaping schooling and school leadership. Journal of School Leadership, 25 (6), 1064.

Ng, F. S. D., & Ho, J. M. (2012). How leadership for an ICT reform is distributed within a school. International Journal of Educational Management, 26 (6), 529–549.

Nguyen, D. H., Ng, D., & Yap, P. S. (2017). Instructional leadership structure in Singapore: A co-existence of hierarchy and heterarchy. Journal of Educational Administration, 55 (2), 147–167.

Nicolis, G., Prigogine, I., & Nocolis, G. (1989). Exploring complexity . New York, NY: Freeman.

Penuel, W., Riel, M., Krause, A., & Frank, K. (2009). Analyzing teachers’ professional interactions in a school as social capital: A social network approach. The Teachers College Record, 111 (1), 124–163.

Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C. M., & Ormston, R. (Eds.). (2013). Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers . London, UK: Sage.

Robinson, V. M. (2010). From instructional leadership to leadership capabilities: Empirical findings and methodological challenges. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 9 (1), 1–26.

Robinson, V., Lloyd, C., & Rowe, K. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership types. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44 (5), 564–588.

Scott, J. (2011). Social network analysis: Developments, advances, and prospects. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 1 (1), 21–26.

Sheppard, B. (1996). Exploring the transformational nature of instructional leadership. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 42 (4), 325–344.

Southworth, G. (2002). Instructional leadership in schools: Reflections and empirical evidence. School Leadership and Management, 22 (1), 73–92.

Spillane, J. P. (2005, June). Distributed leadership. The Educational Forum, 69 (2), 143–150.

Spillane, J. P., Diamond, J. B., & Jita, L. (2003). Leading instruction: The distribution of leadership for instruction. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35 (5), 533–543.

Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2001). Investigating school leadership practice: A distributed perspective. Educational Researcher, 30 (3), 23–28.

Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2004). Towards a theory of leadership practice: A distributed perspective. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 36 (1), 3–34.

Torres-Carrasquillo, P. A., Singer, E., Kohler, M. A., Greene, R. J., Reynolds, D. A., & Deller Jr, J. R. (2002, September). Approaches to language identification using Gaussian mixture models and shifted Delta Cepstral features. In Proceedings of the international conference on spoken language processing , Denver, CO, pp. 89–92.

Von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). Organismic psychology and systems theory . Worchester, MA: Clark University Press.

Walberg, H. J., Strykowski, B. F., Rovai, E., & Hung, S. S. (1984). Exceptional performance. Review of Educational Research, 54 (1), 87–112.

Walker, A., & Dimmock, C. (2000). Insights into educational administration: The need for a cross-cultural comparative perspective. Asia-Pacific Journal of Education, 20 (2), 11–22.

Wasserman, S., & Faust, K. (1994). Social network analysis: Methods and applications (Vol. 8). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Witziers, B., Bosker, R., & Kruger, M. (2003). Educational leadership and student achievement: The elusive search for an association. Educational Administration Quarterly, 34 (3), 398–425.

Woods, P. A. (2004). Democratic leadership: drawing distinctions with distributed leadership. International journal of Leadership in Education, 7 (1), 3–26.

Yuen, J. H. P., Chen, D. T. V., & Ng, D. (2015). Distributed leadership through the lens of activity theory. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44 (5), 814–836.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David NG .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Public Administration, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Arnoud Oude Groote Beverborg

Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft, Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

Tobias Feldhoff

University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Katharina Maag Merki

Institut für Schulpädagogik und Bildung, Universität Rostock, Rostock, Germany

Falk Radisch

Rights and permissions

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

The images or other third party material in this chapter are included in the chapter’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the chapter’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s)

About this chapter

NG, D. (2021). Reframing Educational Leadership Research in the Twenty-First Century. In: Oude Groote Beverborg, A., Feldhoff, T., Maag Merki, K., Radisch, F. (eds) Concept and Design Developments in School Improvement Research. Accountability and Educational Improvement. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69345-9_7

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69345-9_7

Published : 16 June 2021

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-69344-2

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-69345-9

eBook Packages : Education Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• Technical Support
• Find My Rep

You are here

The SAGE Handbook of Educational Leadership Advances in Theory, Research, and Practice

• Fenwick W. English - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
• Description

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

For assistance with your order: Please email us at [email protected] or connect with your SAGE representative.

SAGE 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.sagepub.com

New to this Edition

• This landmark work has been thoroughly updated and revised, with more than 75% new or revised content.
• Ten of the prior edition's chapters have been replaced with ten new chapters in this edition.
• New chapters include topics such as distributed leadership and democratic community, standards for educational leaders, teacher preparation and staffing, and the uses and misuses of tests in accountability schemes known as "the gaposis syndrome."
• The Introduction to the Second edition and each section introduction has been rewritten Includes new chapters from international scholars giving readers a more global perspective

Key Features

• This Handbook combines both applied and scholarly issues that face educational leadership at the level of preparation and practice, offering wide-ranging coverage that appeals to scholars, researchers, and practitioners alike.
• Chapters in the Handbook examine issues long relevant to the field as well as current hot-button topics, and nearly every chapter links the history of educational leadership to current thought and actual operations in the field, helping the reader to fully grasp the implications for development and application.
• Chapter-by-chapter syntheses of prior research and practice are combined with a robust focus on issues likely to face educational leaders in the coming century based on thoughtful analyses of current trends.

Sample Materials & Chapters

1. A History of Public School Leadership

2. Culturally Relevant Leadership for Complex 21st Century School Contexts

Select a Purchasing Option

This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge , the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial .

Thesis Helpers

Find the best tips and advice to improve your writing. Or, have a top expert write your paper.

277 Top Leadership Research Topics for Your Thesis

For most students, working on leadership research topics is a fascinating task. That’s because this subject spans different disciplines, including education, management, sociology, politics, and psychology. For this reason, many learners choose these topics when writing college and university papers.

In most cases, educators do not specify the topic for learners. That means every learner must choose or develop a topic for their academic paper. Consequently, learners look for leadership areas that interest them and then pick their leadership paper topics.

Here are pointers for selecting a topic for your leadership essay or paper:

Start by choosing a subject area Narrow down your subject area Focus on leadership, not management Bear the educator’s instructions in mind Aim to answer a question in your subject area

If interested in this subject, here is a list of leadership topics you consider for your papers.

Interesting Dissertation Topics in Educational Leadership

When pursuing a course in educational leadership, educators require learners to complete a dissertation by employing their new learning and professional knowledge. When writing this paper, a learner should demonstrate organization, transformative leadership, and the ability to initiate community change. Here are sample topics in this category.

• Interrelation between poor school results and poor leadership
• How social media affects educational leadership
• Impacts of technology on educational leadership
• How leadership in mediocre schools can simulate top performing learning institutions
• Effects of the leadership culture on running educational institutions
• How to blend strategic teaching methods with efficient organization
• How educational leadership affects society
• How educational leadership influence researchers and literature
• Educational leadership and success path
• Educational leadership and social transformation
• Educational leadership’s role in society
• Can education leadership bring about change?
• How to include the community in education leadership
• Effectiveness of interdisciplinary teams in the running of the middle schools
• Women role in education leadership
• How cultural organization affects educational institutions
• Diluting racist habits in accredited universities
• How to seamlessly pass teachers’ excellence to students
• How educational institutions can offer exceptional leadership by thinking outside the box
• How to evaluate negative traits of instructors teaching similar subjects
• How fighting for leadership positions affect schools and students
• How to compassionately develop students with dyslexia
• How to strategically blend teaching methods with efficient organization
• How culture influences educational institutions’ leadership
• How effective educational leadership helps learners achieve academic goals
• How educational leadership affect how learners think about their future and intellectual abilities
• How teachers can encourage learners to take exams and testing more seriously
• Do teachers have adequate training on how to be influential leaders?
• Should learning institutions evaluate teachers depending on their leadership abilities?
• What changes in training opportunities can encourage teachers to exercise leadership strategies?

Pick any of these educational leadership research topics and investigate them extensively to develop a brilliant dissertation.

Hot Leadership Training Topics

Leadership training is crucial for future and current leaders. Anybody that wants to become a supervisor, manager, or leader at any capacity should undergo some training to cultivate and nurture their skills. Here are some of the best leadership topics to write about in this category.

• How organizational leaders can enhance productivity
• How company leaders can retain the best employees
• How to improve decision making in an organization
• How to implement effective leadership styles
• How leaders can support succession in their organizations
• How to delegate and empower employees
• Role of organizational leaders in conflict resolution
• How to change management and executive leadership
• How leaders can command respect without issuing commands
• How leaders can motivate and engage employees
• How corporate leaders can enhance interpersonal relationships
• How decision skills can streamline organizations and nurture confidence
• How leaders can train employees on energy and time management
• How leaders can train employees about self-awareness
• Practical communication skills for organizational leaders
• How leaders can encourage peer-to-peer training
• The role of leadership in organizational development
• How to design helpful leadership training modules
• How to automate corporate learning paths
• How to measure results in leadership training
• Importance of leadership training
• How leaders can deal with organizational change
• How leaders can use coaching to enhance employee performance
• Qualities of practical leadership training and mentorship programs
• How leaders can create a learning culture in an organization
• How a company employee can benefit from a leadership course
• Which leadership strategies can enhance a team’s performance?
• Describe different leadership styles with examples
• What leadership training means for a business
• Can leadership training affect organizational success?

Any of these topics can be the basis of an excellent paper. However, take your time to research your preferred idea to come up with a high-quality paper.

Trendy Leadership Development Topics for Research

Leadership development entails expanding individuals’ capacity to perform their leadership roles in organizations. Here are topic ideas to consider in this category.

• When is leadership coaching necessary?
• Who should provide leadership coaching?
• Which are the best leadership development opportunities?
• How emotional intelligence can enhance leadership development
• Describe executive development
• How innovation can enhance leadership development
• Mentorship for leadership development- How does it work?
• Can leaders act as teachers?
• Why strategic planning matters when it comes to leadership development
• Role of leadership development in team building
• How coaching can enhance leadership development
• Can leadership development enhance accountability?
• Why change management coaching should be part of a leadership development program
• How leadership development can turn leaders into negotiators and influencers
• How communication skills can enhance leadership development
• How organizational leaders can develop creativity
• Essential skills to acquire from a leadership development program

Pick any of these topic ideas and then develop them via research to develop a winning paper. Use different information sources to gather relevant information before writing your essay.

Organizational Leadership Dissertation Topics

Organizational leadership is an exciting research field. What’s more, you can use a topic in this category to impact a difference in an organization. And this can enhance your employability when seeking a job. Depending on your dissertation requirements, you can pick and work with any of these topics.

• How blended-learning techniques can enhance the critical thinking of organizational leaders
• Essential administrative services that hospitality industry leaders should provide
• Qualities of charismatic and prevention-oriented leaders for the success of medium-sized enterprises
• How leadership behaviors affect the corporate culture
• How leadership practices influence the success of an organization
• How organizational leadership and culture affect the success of a small enterprise
• Why executive leadership is essential in developing countries
• Organizational leadership’s role in a multicultural environment
• Investigating variations in conventional organizational leadership and charismatic leadership
• How leadership quality and training can improve organizational performance
• How corporate culture can influence the leadership decisions to try a new business strategy
• How a country can produce the organizational leaders it requires
• How managers can provide leadership aspirations to subordinates
• How global company leaders can influence their overall cultures
• How corporate culture impacts a company’s leadership
• How assumption-based planning can save money for an organization
• How organizational leadership differs from management
• How differentiating leadership from management can enhance the achievement of organizational goals
• How to evaluate the effects of administration on the organizational performance
• How to examine leadership effects and vision clarity on business organizations
• How leadership affects organizational performance
• How a corporate leader can devise work teams in a company
• Impacts of leadership skills on employees performance

Any of these organizational leadership topics can be the basis of a brilliant paper. However, you must research the idea extensively to include relevant information in your writing. That way, your educator and organizational leaders will find your essay worth reading.

Fantastic Women’s Leadership Topics

It’s no secret that studies about women in leadership topics have increased over the years. Perhaps, that’s because women’s status in workplaces has improved recently. Here are brilliant ideas to explore if interested in writing a research paper in this category.

• The role of women personality in leadership
• What are the primary barriers to women’s leadership?
• Society stereotypes that threaten women leadership
• How the responsibilities of women differ from those of their counterpart males
• How the personality of women leaders differ from that of men
• How women’s leadership style differs from that of men
• How family responsibilities affect female leaders
• Do current male leaders resist female leaders?
• Must women leaders outperform their male counterparts to be considered adequate?
• How lack of sufficient household support affects women leaders
• How women leaders can help in unlocking the full economic potential of a country
• How influential women leaders juggle between family and work
• How powerful women leaders define work and success
• How gender stereotypes affect female leaders
• How modern female leaders balance careers and family
• How stereotypes shape women leaders’ performance and intellectual identity
• Family business success- What is the role of women?
• Gender, sex, and leadership
• How women can change organizational leadership
• How great women leaders can inspire people to take action

Take any of these topics and develop them into an excellent paper through research. The internet is awash with resources that cover women and leadership issues. That means you won’t have a hard time finding relevant information for your topic.

Interesting Leadership Topics

Perhaps, you’re looking for an exciting topic for your research paper or essay. In that case, here are some of the best ideas to explore.

• A case study of Bill Gates’ leadership
• Motivation and leadership- What’s the difference?
• What are the key characteristics of transformational leadership?
• Investigating leadership and management across culture
• Characteristics and distinctions of management and leadership
• Explain radical leadership with examples
• Discuss different leadership and management styles
• Ethical leadership theories and models
• Othello and Machiavelli’s leadership skills
• Leadership concepts, according to Kentucky Fried Chicke
• Moral and cultural contingencies of leadership
• An investigation into team leadership
• Discuss the hospitality industry’s leadership and management
• How diversity affects the leadership effectiveness
• Which are the best leadership practices
• Socrates and organizational leadership
• Aspects of leadership and team behavior
• Leadership and management in business- How they relate
• What is ethical leadership?
• Leadership as a strategy in human resource and company policies
• Leadership and organizational behavior- How they relate
• Why is strategic leadership essential in the business environment?
• How gender difference affects leadership styles
• What is systematic leadership?
• Why is civic leadership important?
• How negative leadership affects an organization
• Leadership role in an organization’s transformational
• Classifications of different leadership theories
• Theoretical perspectives of organizational leadership
• Human resource planning and leadership development
• Leadership contingency theories
• Military leadership style and coaching combination
• Benefits, roles, and limitations of leadership
• Supervising and leadership influence on human services
• Leadership theories and effective organization change
• Discuss various leadership style concepts
• Governance and leadership- What’s the difference?
• Troubled companies and their leadership
• Participative and situational leadership theories
• Analyzing the authoritative leadership style
• Effective management and leadership strategies
• Why strong leadership is crucial in a business organization
• Integrating different leadership styles
• Leadership and education role modeling
• How effective leadership can enhance employees productivity
• How managers can motivate employees by serving as their leaders
• How political leadership can affect an organization
• Leadership role in solving organizational challenges
• A critical perspective on leadership and management
• Evaluation of John Kennedy and Bill Clinton’s political leadership
• An analysis of the most influential leader in the world
• Effective leadership learning processes in an organization
• Servant and followership leadership
• Leadership principles of effective teachers
• Analyzing Ciulla Joanne’s The Ethics of Leadership
• Is servant leadership effective in school administration?
• Creativity and leadership revision
• Leadership and motivation theories
• The role of leadership in a multinational company
• Participative approach versus autocratic leadership
• How ethical leadership can influence decision-making
• How a company’s leadership can manage change effectively
• Innovation and leadership in a business
• How transformational leadership can benefit women
• Describe the role of leadership in a medical facility
• Variations in ethical leadership
• Scientific methods for studying leadership
• Strategy as leadership and practice
• Leadership and service quality
• How school governance affects school leadership
• How leadership and power relate
• Investigating leadership through a behavioral approach
• Effective styles for strategic leadership
• Strategic leadership- A critical examination
• Describe how contingency leadership works
• Discuss theorists and theories on leadership
• How to develop a leadership strategy in an organization
• Why leadership models are valuable
• Leadership strategies as success factors
• Qualities of effective leadership strategies

These are exciting leadership topics for discussion in an academic paper or essay. Pick an issue in this category and then research it extensively to develop a brilliant piece.

Nursing Leadership Paper Topics

Do you want to write a research paper or essay about nursing leadership? If yes, pick any of these brilliant nursing leadership paper topics.

• Strategies for developing nurse leaders
• How concept-based learning techniques affect nurse leaders
• What are the qualities of the best nurse leaders?
• How a nurse leader can manage stress
• Criteria for being considered a nurse leader’s mentor
• Essential nursing leadership areas to study
• Qualities of a practical nursing leadership program
• Why nursing leadership is vital in healthcare management
• A review of ethical nursing leadership and practice
• What are the values of ethical nursing leadership and training?
• How to balance nursing leadership and service quality
• Nursing leadership fundamentals
• The global status of nurse leaders
• Practice experience that every nurse leader should exhibit
• Nursing leadership from a patient’s perspective
• How to apply nursing leadership in a nursing home
• A comparison of nursing leadership in an adult ward and a pediatric ward
• Vital skills for a nurse leader during an emergency
• Challenges facing nursing leaders
• What leadership means to nurses
• Leadership from a nurse perspective- What does it mean?
• Disadvantages of being a nurse leader
• What are the inherent nurse leaders’ values?
• The role of nurse leaders in public hospitals
• Nursing leadership status in private hospitals
• How nursing leadership differs in private and public hospitals
• Trends in nursing leadership
• Assessing nursing leadership in third-world countries
• Long and short-term goals for nurse leaders
• Activities for enhancing nursing leadership.

Any of these nursing leadership topics can be a great idea for research. However, prepare to investigate your preferred issue to develop an excellent paper. Nevertheless, you can even seek professional assistance if you love the topic but lack adequate time to write about it.

Leadership Speech Topics

Perhaps, you want to write a speech to present to your class or during a business meeting. In that case, this category comprises some of the best leadership presentation topics.

• How to be a transformative leader
• What makes a strategic leader?
• Why organizations need moral leaders
• How to lead with inclusion and integrity
• Leadership and dissent- Doing the right versus doing something right
• Practicing leadership in an inter-agency context
• How to make a difference using leadership
• Transactional or transformational leadership- What works?
• How effective leadership looks like
• How to practice effective leadership
• How to become a leader
• How to lead with compassion
• Qualities that every great leader should exhibit
• The power of effective leadership
• How a leadership vision can propel an organization forward
• How to understand and work with followers as a leader
• How a leader can adapt and listen to changes in an organization
• How consistent efforts make great leaders
• Qualities that made great leaders in history
• The golden rule of outstanding leadership

These are brilliant leadership discussion topics. However, prepare to research your preferred idea before you write a speech about it. That way, you will come up with a presentation that will move your audience.

Leadership Topics for Managers

Perhaps, you want to write about a leadership issue that managers will find interesting to read. In that case, these leadership research paper topics will interest you.

• How managers can develop performance standards and goals
• How managers can promote effective discipline
• How a manager can improve work habits
• How company managements can manage complaints
• How a manager can provide performance feedback
• Effective conflict resolution techniques for company managers
• How a manager can support change in a company
• Effective ways for managers to delegate tasks
• How to effectively communicate with the upper management
• How a manager can train or coach others
• Essential leadership skills for managers
• How managers can create trust and transparency in their organizations
• How managers can encourage individual employees to find personal motivation
• How managers can encourage innovation and initiative
• How a manager can build self-confidence
• Practical time management skills that every manager should have
• Body language and public speaking for managers
• How company managers can minimize employee complaints
• How managers can lower stress among employees
• Why training is essential for new managers
• Why every manager should know industry-specific regulations
• How managers can create an inclusive workforce
• How managers can nurture talents and ensure employee retention
• What training methods can managers use to empower employees?
• Firing and hiring- What should know managers know about these responsibilities?
• Which skills should managers cultivate to support company employees?

These are brilliant leadership essay topics for managers. However, you need time to research any of these topics to write a winning paper.

Having an Issue Completing Your Leadership Dissertation?

Whether you need leadership dissertation topics or essay ideas, you have many options to consider. Nevertheless, pick an interesting topic that you’ll enjoy working with, from research to proofreading your paper. But if you have difficulties writing your essay, seek an expert’s writing help online. With cheap, high quality assistance from reliable academic writers, you can have a competent specialist handle this assignment for you from the beginning to the end. And you can impress your educators to accord you the grade you desire. So, if stuck with this assignment, contact the best expert writers for hire to write your paper or essay without breaking a sweat.

Make PhD experience your own

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

EL Magazine: By Educators, for Educators

Since 1943, educational leadership has been a trusted source of evidence-based, peer-to-peer guidance and inspiration..

Recent Issues

February 2024, december 2023, november 2023, october 2023, september 2023, featured articles.

Making Space for Principled Resistance

Creating autonomy within fidelity, a blueprint for teacher retention, featured column, fighting cynicism (without the toxic positivity).

Chase Mielke

El topic selects.

Free, Downloadable Resources for School Teams

Introducing a new line of free topic packs to address the needs of educators and students. Each collection is curated by Educational Leadership 's editors and designed to provide insight, context, and solutions on a specific area of school leadership or instruction.

Online Exclusives

Listen & learn, write for el magazine.

Share your writing with more than 90,000 educators. Get a feel for our upcoming themes and writing guidelines.

Other Ways to Contribute

  Need advice on an edtech dilemma or challenge? Submit your question to "Ask Our EdTech Expert."  

  Have a practice-related story to tell? Review our upcoming questions for “Tell Us About.”  

To process a transaction with a Purchase Order please send to [email protected]

Educational Leadership

• Background Information
• Chronicle of Higher Education
• Statistical Databases
• Literature Review
• Research Design & Writing
• Statistical Software Guides
• Find Journals
• Find Articles & Databases
• Associations
• << Previous: APA Style
• Next: Chronicle of Higher Education >>
• Last Updated: Nov 30, 2023 4:24 PM
• URL: https://bowiestate.libguides.com/educational_leadership

• Staff & Faculty
• Current Students
• Parents & Family
• Visitors & Community
• Corporate Partnerships
• Support Marymount
• Marymount Shuttles
• Student Counseling Services
• News & Events
• Campus Safety
• Faculty & Staff Directory
• My Marymount
• Registrar’s Office
• Library & Learning Services
• Campus Ministry
• Human Resources
• Office of the President
• Marymount at a Glance
• Points of Pride
• Our Mission, Vision, & Plan
• Capital Location
• Our History
• The Rixey History
• Our Inclusive Community
• Marymount’s Economic Impact
• Involvement & Service
• Distinguished Speakers
• Map and Directions
• Visit Marymount
• Admitted Students
• Undergraduate Students
• Graduate Students
• Online Students
• Non Degree Students
• Summer Programs
• Early College Programs
• Scholarships & Aid
• Early Learning Academy
• New Student Scholarships
• How to Apply
• Types of Aid
• Graduate Student Aid
• Military & Veteran Services
• Financial Aid FAQs
• Tuition & Fees
• Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
• Office of the Provost
• Academic Calendar
• Majors & Programs
• Online Programs
• Services & Resources
• College of Business, Innovation, Leadership, and Technology
• College of Health and Education
• College of Sciences and Humanities
• Access, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Hub
• Marymount Global
• Center for Optimal Aging
• Saints’ Service Network
• Faculty Research and Experts
• Commencement
• Student Affairs Administration
• New Student Orientation
• Dining Services
• International Student & Scholar Services
• Student Activities and Events
• Student Accounts
• Commuter Students
• Student Health and Well-being
• Community Standards and Title IX
• Ministry, Activities & Leadership
• Careers, Internships & Employment
• Auxiliary Services
• Campus Safety & Emergency Management
• Student Government Association
• Student Success and Well-being

Home News Six Types of Leadership Styles in Education: A Guide for Educators

Six Types of Leadership Styles in Education: A Guide for Educators

Do you aspire to serve as an educational leader who makes an impact in the lives of students? Exploring different types of leadership styles in education in a Master of Education (M.Ed.) program can help you take your career to new levels of success. 

Education leaders play critical roles in helping students learn and grow while creating safe and inclusive learning environments. But which leadership style is best suited to you? By understanding the following six types of leadership in education and how to leverage them, you can ultimately incorporate the leadership style that’s right for you and your school’s needs.

Understanding Leadership in an Educational Setting

Although most people may think of administration when they think of leadership in education, in reality, teachers and other educators inherently serve as leaders of their respective classrooms. No matter the specific setting, strong educational leadership can make all the difference in achieving desired goals and outcomes while helping students (or other teachers) feel valued and supported.

Significance of Leadership in Education

There’s no overstating the impact of effective leadership in education. Whether it’s a confident teacher leading a classroom of 20 students or a principal working to support their staff, educational leadership lays the foundation for safer learning environments, confident classroom management, and effective learning solutions that benefit everyone.

Exploring Six Types of Leadership Styles in Education

There are six primary leadership styles that are used in education, ranging from transformational to transactional. With an understanding of what each type entails, you can determine which approach may work best for you and your school.

Transformational Leadership Style: A Focused Approach

In simplest terms, transformational leadership in education involves leaders working directly with teams to lead by example. With this form of leadership, it is important to look past self-interests and at the “big picture,” striving toward a shared vision in a team setting. Transformational leaders in education tend to be extremely hands-on, working alongside other educators toward a common goal and making sure everybody’s opinions are considered throughout the process.

Instructional Leadership Style: Guiding Academics

Another common leadership style in education is instructional leadership, which is primarily focused on direct teaching and development of learners. The core purpose of this leadership style is to ensure teachers are empowered to do their jobs well, following the idea that all instructors should be able to rely on their knowledge to teach students while drawing on their unique experiences with minimal “rules” in place.

Constructivist Leadership Style: Building Knowledge Together

Another education leadership style to which many adapt is that of constructivist leadership, focused on identifying a problem and allowing students to come up with their own creative solutions. This type of leadership is effective when it comes to getting students and teachers to collaborate and problem-solve while building confidence and critical thinking skills.

Democratic Leadership Style: Encouraging Participation

For schools or districts in which the goal is to foster widespread collaboration and participation, a democratic leadership style may be the most effective approach for administrators, professors, and other education leaders.

Also commonly known as participative leadership, democratic leadership aims to involve teachers and other staff as much as possible in the decision-making process. The idea is that teacher experiences are valued and a solid reflection of the school’s needs. Taking these employees’ opinions into consideration when making key decisions can help everyone feel involved, heard, and valued.

Emotional Leadership Style: Leveraging Empathy

While perhaps less effective in an administrative leadership setting, emotional leadership  can  be a suitable strategy for leaders in a classroom setting. Essentially, this leadership style allows teachers and classroom leaders to connect with students on an emotional level, becoming mentors with a high degree of awareness. The outcome of this leadership style can lead to students’ ability to form safe bonds with their teachers, which can encourage more open, honest dialogue as well as more inclusive learning.

Transactional Leadership Style: Structured and Directive

Last but not least, transactional leadership is yet another common style used in different levels of education. Through this approach, leaders exchange rewards for those who follow instructions and yield desired outcomes. This style is frequent in classroom settings, especially early childhood education, where students may receive rewards for good performance in class. This can be effective because it reinforces positive behavior—but leaders who follow this style should remain mindful of negative consequences, too.

Impact of Leadership on School Culture

Strong educational leadership can have a major impact on school culture. This remains true in all educational settings, from the smallest of early childhood classrooms to the college lecture hall.

How Leadership Styles Shape School’s Culture

In many ways, the leadership style an educator or other leader follows can influence the overall culture of the classroom or the entire school and district. This is because leadership styles affect the way people within a school communicate and collaborate. Additionally, it plays into how people solve or respond to problems and how core values are followed. All of these are central factors in shaping a school’s learning culture.

Role of Leadership in Developing Positive Learning Environments

The ultimate goal of any educational leader is to help ensure all students and staff (where applicable) can enter an environment where they feel safe, included, and valued. Different leadership styles in early childhood education and other contexts can create the positive learning environments students need to thrive and grow.

How Are Different Leadership Styles Used in Education?

In a number of ways, various leadership styles can enhance performance, improve student learning, contribute to student growth, and even advocate for changing student needs.

The Link Between Leadership Style and School Performance

Effective leadership styles can impact school performance in terms of standardized test scores and other metrics. Educational leaders who create inclusive learning environments can empower students to perform their best day in and day out.

Ways Leadership Styles Affect Student Learning

Students tend to learn best in an environment where they feel their ideas are valued and their efforts are seen. An educational leadership style that supports these ideas can help students learn more readily and effectively.

How Leadership Contributes to Student Growth

All students require support in order to grow throughout their journeys. Effective leadership inside and outside the classroom can help students overcome learning obstacles and achieve their full potential.

Leadership’s Role in Advocating Student Needs

Oftentimes, learners rely on their teachers to recognize and advocate for their needs to administrators and other higher-ups. In this sense, an educational leadership style centered on listening to learners and genuinely valuing their input means educators can more effectively understand and advocate student needs to others in positions of power.

Choosing the Right Leadership Style in Education

Whether you are working as a teacher or in more of an administrative role, choosing and committing to a leadership style is an essential step to take in your career. Of course, not every leadership style is suited for all educators, which is why it’s so crucial to weigh your options and select the leadership style that will best serve the needs of your classroom, school, or district.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Leadership Style

There is a lot to keep in mind when adopting a leadership style as an educator. First, think about your own strengths and weaknesses and how those might apply to your ultimate choice in leadership style. Do you naturally enjoy collaborating and working with others? If so, then a more transformational or instructional approach may be better.

On the other hand, you’ll also need to consider the needs of your school or classroom. This means taking a step back to assess what your learners truly need, then brainstorming leadership styles that may align best with those needs.

Adapting Leadership Style According to Needs

It’s also important to understand that choosing a leadership style doesn’t necessarily mean you’re committed to that approach for the rest of your career. In fact, your leadership style  should  evolve and change over time rather than remain static. This way, you are constantly reevaluating your strengths, weaknesses, and students’ needs and adapting to make changes as necessary.

How an M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision Program Can Help Form a Leadership Style

If you’re looking to build your confidence and knowledge as an educational leader, it may be time to explore a formal degree program that supports and provides you with the resources you need to thrive. An M.Ed. in administration and supervision can be an ideal way to gain a competitive advantage and expand your career prospects and opportunities.

How an M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision Gives Leaders an Advantage

Specifically, the M.Ed. in administration and supervision  at Marymount University is designed with educational leaders in mind, empowering students to become more effective and innovative leaders while fostering key values such as ethics, social justice, and integrity.

In addition, this program is offered fully online, allowing even the busiest of professionals to continue their crucial work while pursuing an advanced degree that benefits them. As part of this program, students can also pursue their administration and supervision licenses.

Career Opportunities After Master of Education in Administration and Supervision

Those who complete a Master of Education program can expand their career opportunities to encompass any number of in-demand roles, with potential options including:

• Admissions counselor
• Educational researcher
• Senior curriculum specialist
• Leaders in public, private, and Catholic schools

Likewise, all students who complete an  M.Ed. program through Marymount University  are also licensed to teach the following in the state of Virginia:

• Elementary education (PK-6th grade)
• Secondary education (6th-12th grade)
• Special education (K-12th grade)

Potential Salary Ranges for Graduates

The potential salary for a graduate of an M.Ed. program varies greatly depending on a variety of factors, including the exact role, level of experience, and geographic location of the job. However, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay of an elementary, middle, or high school principal with a master’s degree is  $101,320 per year . Meanwhile, postsecondary education administrators with master’s degrees earn a  median pay of $99,940 per year .

Can an Effective Leadership Style Enhance the Quality of Education?

There’s no denying the impact an effective leadership style can have on the overall quality of student education. Of course, not all leadership styles are ideal for all learning environments; that’s why it’s so essential to carefully assess needs and outcomes before settling on an educational leadership style for you. From there, you can serve as a confident leader who makes a true difference in the lives of your students.

Interested in earning a higher degree in the realm of education? Get in touch with an advisor at Marymount University to learn more about our program options.

https://marymount.edu/academics/education/master-of-education/administration-and-supervision/

https://marymount.edu/academics/education/master-of-education/

https://accountingprofessor.org/what-are-the-8-effective-leadership-styles-in-education/

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/postsecondary-education-administrators.htm

(703) 522-5600

Privacy Policy - Terms of Use

• Contact CONTACT MARYMOUNT
• Directions MAPS & DIRECTIONS
• Careers CAREERS AT MARYMOUNT
• Student Jobs JOBS ON CAMPUS (MU STUDENT)

Education Week's Leadership Symposium 2024

Education Week’s 2024 Leadership Symposium will take place live and in person in Arlington, VA, just 5 minutes outside of Washington, DC. Join school and district leaders from across the nation for 3 days of empowering strategies, networking, and inspiration.

Hyatt regency crystal city, arlington, va, may 1 - 3, 2024.

Register to Attend

In my 25 years in educational administration, it was the best three days of learning, development, and networking I have ever experienced. I can't wait until next year.

The Leadership Symposium was a wonderful blend of information, networking, and inspiration. I left with specific action-items, meaningful challenges, solid advice, and new connections.

The Leadership Symposium is a great opportunity to meet with other peers and reflect. It helps you realize where your district is and what you need to do next.

The Leadership Symposium has been an amazing experience. It's given me the opportunity to connect with other leaders that are doing so many innovative things. I would tell a district leader considering this event to go ahead and bring as many people as possible.

I recommend this event for all educators, especially educational leaders. The speakers are innovators in the field and people you want to meet. And the networking opportunities have been invaluable to me. Once you come, you'll be back.

A wonderful conference – informative and inspiring.

Save Your Seat

About the event.

Explore and discuss some of the most critical issues education leaders are facing and discover ideas for solutions through a variety of session formats, guests, and topics. You will leave inspired by new ideas, empowered with actionable takeaways that can be applied in your own schools and districts, and connected to an expanded network of K-12 leaders.

Gain insights and ideas to:

• Build momentum and sustainability for student learning
• Get proven tactics to help guide your strategy for the 2024-25 school year
• Discover the latest findings and best practices from EdWeek’s journalists and researchers
• Find inspiration, empowerment, and community

Need some help convincing your boss or school board that you should attend? Most Leadership Symposium attendees have the costs of their registration badge paid for by their school or district. Download this letter template that you can use to convince your school board or administrator to approve and fund your trip.

This year’s symposium will feature two half-days (Wed. 5/1 and Friday 5/3) and one full day (Thursday 5/2) of content focused on Teaching & Learning, Thriving Students, and Resilient Leadership.

Click on each day below to see the schedule and check back as we continue to fill the program with empowering sessions, inspiring speakers, and valuable networking opportunities.

Wednesday, May 1

Check-in and networking, welcome and opening remarks.

Leaders to Learn From Recognition Ceremony

Panel discussion: the state of teaching: big takeaways for school and district leaders.

Industry Perspective: Successfully Navigating the Staffing Crisis

Networking Break

Interactive polling session: teacher morale and satisfaction.

Learn & Reflect: De-implementation: Creating the Space to Focus on What Works

Day 1 Closing Remarks

Cocktail reception, thursday, may 2, topic-focused networking breakfast, flash briefing: taking the pulse on ai's uptake in schools, panel discussion: embracing ai in education.

Industry Perspective: Beyond Survival: Thriving with Innovative Leadership in Today's Schools

Interactive Polling Session: Emotional Intelligence of Leaders (What You Think; What Teachers Think)

Keynote: fostering purpose and inclusion to drive student success in college and careers.

Industry Perspective: Insights from Educators: Making In-School, High-Impact Tutoring Work

Book Signing by Freeman Hrabowski

Interactive breakout session 1: collective leader efficacy: how to strengthen instructional leadership teams.

Interactive Breakout Session 2: The Perils of Speaking Out: How Education Leaders Can Deftly Navigate Public Debates Over Curriculum, Culture Wars, and Politics

Interactive Breakout Session 3: Write a Smart AI Policy for Your School or District

Interactive breakout session 4: give students a voice--get big results.

Panel Discussion: Real Talk With Students on the Mental Health Supports They Say Help Most

Industry Perspective: Thriving Learners: Design for One, Design for All

Leadership Interview: What Happens When School and District Leaders Prioritize Family Engagement

Industry Perspective: Exploring Effective Instructional Strategies in a Diverse School District

Featured Speaker: U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona

Day 2 Closing Remarks

Friday, may 3, interactive polling session: student engagement and motivation, travel to breakout sessions, learn & reflect: how to teach students to be the ultimate stem problem solvers.

Leadership Interview: Improving Literacy Instruction and Achievement at Scale: Lessons From a State Chief

Closing Remarks

Who will i hear from.

Learn from senior K-12 district and school leaders and nationally recognized leadership and policy experts. Check back for an updated speaker list.

Thank you to all our symposium sponsors

View pricing and register below. This event is exclusively for district and school leaders. Education Week reserves the right to review and revoke registrations from individuals who are not employed in this capacity.

Registration payment is taken via credit card. To inquire about alternate forms of payment, please contact Emma Prillaman at [email protected]

*Online event includes access to livestream content on the main stage and online extras.

Education Week Group Online Subscribers can receive an additional $150 off per ticket. Enter code EDWEEKGROUP at checkout on the Order Summary screen to receive your discount. Not sure if you have a group subscription? Click here to check or contact Ryan Lanier at [email protected]

Questions about registration? Email [email protected]

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

This article is part of the research topic.

Seeking Equal Opportunities and Safe Environments: Research from a Gender Perspective

Women in Higher Education: Leadership, Coordination, and Bibliography Provisionally Accepted

• 1 University of Deusto, Spain
• 2 University of La Serena, Chile

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

This study examines the role of women in the academic and scientific domain, emphasizing the need for institutions to ensure women's representation for an equitable system. By analyzing 794 syllabi from the Primary Education Degree within the Spanish University Network, we adopt a qualitative-comparative approach to assess women's involvement in the management and coordination of courses and their representation in the associated bibliographic materials. The findings reveal a predominantly androcentric environment where, despite women's participation in course leadership, their contributions to the bibliographic landscape are significantly limited. This research highlights the disparities in gender representation and calls for measures to enhance women's visibility in academic and scientific spaces.

Keywords: Female presence, Primary education, Teaching guide, assignment management, bibliography

Received: 12 Jan 2024; Accepted: 30 Apr 2024.

Copyright: © 2024 Hurtado, Meza and Velasco. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Mx. Erlantz Velasco, University of Deusto, Bilbao, 48007, Basque Country, Spain

People also looked at