The Expansion, Fragmentation, and Cliquishness of the Theoretical Foundation of Educational Leadership in the 2010s
Saved in:
| Title: | The Expansion, Fragmentation, and Cliquishness of the Theoretical Foundation of Educational Leadership in the 2010s |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Yinying Wang (ORCID |
| Source: | European Journal of Educational Management. 2026 9(1):17-32. |
| Availability: | Eurasian Society of Educational Research. 7321 Parkway Drive South, Hanover, MD 21076. e-mail: publisher@eujem.com; Web site: https://www.eujem.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Educational Theories, Educational Administration, Educational Research, Social Justice, Organizational Theories, Networks, Transformational Leadership, Instructional Leadership, Participative Decision Making |
| ISSN: | 2642-2344 |
| Abstract: | Theories provide explanations for what, when, how, and why of particular phenomena. This study investigates the evolution of educational leadership's theoretical foundation in the 2010s, its main pillars, and dominant theories. This study is theoretically grounded in the functions of theory in empirical research and the history of theory development in educational leadership. Using a theory co-occurrence network as a proxy for the theoretical foundation, we conducted a network analysis of 1,767 empirical articles on educational leadership published in 11 top-tier journals. The network consisted of 515 theories and 1,243 co-occurrence ties. Despite the expansion during the 2010s, the theoretical foundation became more fragmented, with stronger connections within clusters. Among seven main clusters, social justice-oriented theories emerged as a newly dominant theoretical lens in the 2010s. To advance theory development, we recommend addressing theory proliferation through theory pruning to enhance explanatory power and prevent the accumulation of ostensibly different but potentially identical theories. The gap between social justice-oriented theories and organizational theory signals a critical area for future theory development. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504654 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Theories provide explanations for what, when, how, and why of particular phenomena. This study investigates the evolution of educational leadership's theoretical foundation in the 2010s, its main pillars, and dominant theories. This study is theoretically grounded in the functions of theory in empirical research and the history of theory development in educational leadership. Using a theory co-occurrence network as a proxy for the theoretical foundation, we conducted a network analysis of 1,767 empirical articles on educational leadership published in 11 top-tier journals. The network consisted of 515 theories and 1,243 co-occurrence ties. Despite the expansion during the 2010s, the theoretical foundation became more fragmented, with stronger connections within clusters. Among seven main clusters, social justice-oriented theories emerged as a newly dominant theoretical lens in the 2010s. To advance theory development, we recommend addressing theory proliferation through theory pruning to enhance explanatory power and prevent the accumulation of ostensibly different but potentially identical theories. The gap between social justice-oriented theories and organizational theory signals a critical area for future theory development. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2642-2344 |
