Report by Link Convenor: Assistant Professor Antonios Kafa, Open University of Cyprus
Conference Highlights – ECER 2025
ECER 2025 once again confirmed the strong standing of Network 26 in the field of educational leadership research. Our network attracted 131 submitted contributions, a figure consistent with ECER 2024. After review, 116 proposals were accepted for presentation at this year’s conference: 103 papers 7 symposiums 2 panel discussions 4 posters (+5 redirected papers) The quality of submissions remained high, with contributions covering a broad range of leadership and management themes. Particular attention was given to comparative and international perspectives, aligning with the network’s commitment to a European and global dimension in educational leadership research.
Key Themes and Paper Sessions
Across the accepted contributions, several major themes emerged:
- School leadership in times of change: Studies examining leadership responses to global challenges, crises, and transformations in education. Digitalisation and AI in leadership: Papers exploring how artificial intelligence and digital technologies reshape school leadership, management practices, and professional development.
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion in leadership: Research on inclusive practices, leadership for social justice, and equity-oriented school governance.
- Professional learning and leadership development: Studies on preparation programs, mentoring, and continuing education for leaders across contexts.
- Policy, governance, and accountability: Contributions analyzing leadership in relation to national reforms, accountability frameworks, and international policy trends.
- Comparative and cross-country leadership perspectives: Papers highlighting European and global dimensions of leadership research, with case studies across diverse contexts.
Together, these themes provided a rich and multidimensional program that reflected both the enduring concerns of educational leadership and new directions in the field.
Network Meeting – ECER 2025
During the Network Meeting, members engaged in constructive discussions about:
- Paper session themes and emerging research trends, based on this year’s submissions.
- Funding opportunities, including EERA network funding, seasonal schools, and conference bursaries.
- Criteria for proposal acceptance, with emphasis on maintaining word count requirements, structural clarity, and a strong European dimension.
- Future directions of the network, particularly the integration of digitalisation and global perspectives into leadership research.
- The meeting reinforced our commitment to supporting early career researchers, encouraging comparative studies, and fostering collaborations across countries.
Looking Ahead – 2026
For 2026, Network 26 will continue to build on its strong foundation by:
- Hosting only the Network Meeting (not a combined convenor meeting), ensuring ample space for internal reflection and collaboration.
- Encouraging members to align submissions with the European and global dimension criteria.
- Exploring possibilities for joint sessions with other networks on cross-cutting issues such as digitalisation, inclusion, and educational governance.