Digital Leadership Practices in Educational Management: A Narrative Literature Review on Trends and Challenges

Digital leadership in educational management has emerged as a rapidly growing field in response to technological transformation in educational environments. However, current understanding of the trends and implementation challenges of digital leadership remains limited. This study aims to review recent literature on digital leadership in educational management, focusing on identifying key trends and major barriers to its implementation. A narrative literature review was conducted using a systematic search strategy guided by PRISMA guidelines. Articles were retrieved through Google Scholar using a combination of keywords and Boolean operators. The selection process included identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion. Inclusion criteria consisted of full-text, peer-reviewed articles published in English between 2020 and 2024, explicitly addressing digital leadership in educational management. A total of 25 relevant articles were analyzed. The findings reveal that current trends in digital leadership include accelerated technology adoption, data-driven decision-making, enhancement of digital literacy, collaborative leadership practices, and the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). The reviewed studies also highlight key implementation challenges, including limited infrastructure, resistance to change, increased workload, and weak policy or contextual support. These findings are further explored through the conceptual lens of Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, the technology acceptance model (TAM), and the ISTE Standards, which are used reflectively by the authors to provide theoretical context for understanding the dynamics of digital adoption and sustainable transformation. In conclusion, digital leadership plays a crucial role in driving sustainable transformation in educational management. This review emphasizes the need for leadership approaches that are ethical, strategic, and contextually responsive to overcome challenges and promote equitable and innovative changes in education.