Educational leadership in the age of artificial intelligence: soft skills, innovation, and the transformation of educational management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/7wps4c40Keywords:
educational leadership, artificial intelligence, soft skills, educational innovation, educational managementAbstract
Introduction: Artificial intelligence is progressively transforming educational leadership and management processes. Its integration offers opportunities to strengthen planning, decision-making, institutional innovation, and the strategic use of information. However, this process also requires the development of soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, adaptability, empathy, collaboration, and ethical judgment. Methodology: A qualitative systematic literature review with a documentary design was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies published between 2022 and 2026 were analyzed using Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and ScienceDirect databases, complemented by Google Scholar and manual reference searching. After the identification, screening, and eligibility process, 15 scientific studies related to educational leadership, artificial intelligence, soft skills, innovation, and educational management were included. Results: The studies showed a favorable trend regarding the use of artificial intelligence as a support tool for educational leadership. The main dimensions identified were leadership and digital competencies, soft skills, educational innovation, management and decision-making, ethics and AI governance, and institutional transformation. Better outcomes were identified when technological integration was accompanied by professional training, human leadership, ethical criteria, and a clearly defined institutional strategy. Conclusions: Artificial intelligence can contribute to transforming educational leadership and management when it is used as a complementary tool to professional judgment. Its effectiveness depends on the combination of digital competencies, human skills, innovation, and ethical principles that guide its implementation.
References
Anysiadou, M., & Gkliati, A. (2025). An experimental analysis of Greek school leaders’ readiness for AI integration. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 24(1), 155–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2024.2439833
Arar, K., Tlili, A., Schunka, L., Salha, S., & Saiti, A. (2025). Reimagining educational leadership and management through artificial intelligence: An integrative systematic review. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 24(1), 4–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2025.2451982
Barry, E. S., Merkebu, J., & Varpio, L. (2022). State-of-the-art literature review methodology: A six-step approach for knowledge synthesis. Perspectives on Medical Education, 11(5), 281–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-022-00725-9
Bixler, K., & Ceballos, M. (2025). Principals leading AI in schools for instructional leadership: A conceptual model for principal AI use. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 24(1), 137–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2024.2428297
Borasi, R., Miller, D. E., Vaughan-Brogan, P., DeAngelis, K., Han, Y. J., & Mason, S. (2024). An AI wishlist from school leaders. Phi Delta Kappan, 105(8), 48–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217241251882
Cheng, E. C. K., & Wang, T. (2023). Leading digital transformation and eliminating barriers for teachers to incorporate artificial intelligence in basic education in Hong Kong. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2023.100171
Chong, S. W., Lin, T. J., & Chen, Y. (2022). A methodological review of systematic literature reviews in higher education: Heterogeneity and homogeneity. Educational Research Review, 35, 100426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100426
Dai, R., Thomas, M. K. E., & Rawolle, S. (2025). The roles of AI and educational leaders in AI-assisted administrative decision-making: A proposed framework for symbiotic collaboration. The Australian Educational Researcher, 52, 1471–1487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00771-8
Fullan, M., Azorín, C., Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2024). Artificial intelligence and school leadership: Challenges, opportunities and implications. School Leadership & Management, 44(4), 339–346. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2023.2246856
Ghamrawi, N., Shal, T., & Ghamrawi, N. A. R. (2024). Exploring the impact of AI on teacher leadership: Regressing or expanding? Education and Information Technologies, 29, 8415–8433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12174-w
Ghamrawi, N., Shal, T., & Ghamrawi, N. A. R. (2026). Irreplaceable teachers in the AI era are teacher leaders. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-026-14006-z
Göçen, A., & Döğer, M. F. (2025). A global perspective on artificial intelligence in educational leadership. The Journal of Educational Research, 118(6), 752–770. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2025.2510397
Hamzah, N. H., Omar, I. M., & Mohd Radzi, N. (2024). Expert consensus on digital leadership competencies for school principals in Malaysia: A fuzzy Delphi approach. Management Research Journal, 13(2), 92–103. https://doi.org/10.37134/mrj.vol13.2.8.2024
Kurkan, G., & Çetin, M. (2024). The perceptions of educational administrators towards digital leadership in the age of artificial intelligence: A qualitative study. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 11(3), 425–439. https://doi.org/10.52380/ijcer.2024.11.3.602
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., . . . Moher, D. (2022). Declaración PRISMA 2020: Una guía actualizada para la publicación de revisiones sistemáticas. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 46, e112. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2022.112
Reis-Andersson, J. (2024). Leading the digitalisation process in K–12 schools – The school leaders’ perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 29, 2585–2603. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11935-x
Renta-Davids, A.-I., Camarero-Figuerola, M., & Camacho, M. (2025). Navigating the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence in educational leadership: A scoping review. Review of Education, 13, e70101. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.70101
Sposato, M. (2025). Artificial intelligence in educational leadership: A comprehensive taxonomy and future directions. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 22, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00517-1
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 María Isolina Calle Guallpa, Vinicio Efraín Saigua Saigua, Marie Lissette Veloz Rios, Sebastian Andres Uvidia Echeverría, Sonia Estefania Carrillo Robalino (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
