Research synthesis of principal system leadership from its birth to 2024: A narrative approach

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Innovations in Re-Defining Effective School Leadership Styles

Abstract

This narrative review focused on the research into system leadership of school principals, examining 56 journal articles starting from the field’s birth in 2005 to 2024. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) and method quality assessment, this review particularly assesses the method quality of principal system leadership literature and portrays the mechanisms of system leadership of school principals, and its antecedents and outcomes. This study will advance the theoretical understanding of principal system leadership by elucidating the 'black box' of its salient drivers and outcomes. The results provide theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for future research, policies, and practice on how to promote system leadership of school principals.

Authors

• Cheng Jin, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Junjun Chen, Education University of Hong Kong

• Wendan XU, The Education University of Hong Kong