Educational leadership styles and practices perceived by academics: An exploratory study of selected Chinese universities

Universities have faced enormous challenges in China, requiring educational leaders to meet the demands of change. The purpose of this study is to explore academic members’ descriptions of their personal educational leadership styles, leadership practices, the influence of organizational structure features on educational leadership practices, and to examine the effect of educational leadership practice on teaching and learning at selected Chinese universities. Through qualitative research design, we inquired about the views of 15 academic members from nine Chinese universities. A content analysis method by MAXQDA2022 is used in this study. The findings provide a comprehensive picture of educational leadership styles, practices, and the perceived effects of educational leadership practices on teaching and learning in the context of selected Chinese universities. The results can be helpful for educational leaders in optimizing educational leadership practices to improve teaching and learning at higher education institutions.