Digital Leadership Transformation In Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The acceleration of educational digitalization necessitates a fundamental shift in the role of educational leaders toward becoming digital leaders. This article presents a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of recent literature on digital leadership transformation in educational contexts published between 2019 and 2025. Using the PRISMA approach, an initial pool of 1,246 articles was screened and refined to 15 selected studies, which were subsequently analyzed thematically. The main findings indicate that: (1) leaders’ digital competencies and strategic vision are critical to successful transformation; (2) organizational culture and teachers’ capabilities act as key mediators of digital transformation outcomes; (3) infrastructural limitations and policy-related issues remain major barriers; and (4) the COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated digital adoption while simultaneously clarifying the strategic role of digital leadership. Practical recommendations and future research agendas are proposed to support the sustainable development of digital leadership in education