Distributed Leadership in Kyiv's International Schools Amid Conflict

This study inspects the application of distributed leadership within international schools in Kyiv, Ukraine. It evaluates principals’ preparedness to implement this collaborative model, how leadership is executed, the avenues available for teacher leadership, and the connections to institutional resilience and enhancement. In response to war-related disruptions like air raids, displacement, and resource shortages, school leaders have increasingly shared duties, though often reactively to ensure survival rather than through deliberate planning. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, the study reveals moderate readiness levels, with practices actively in place but lower than those in stable contexts, attributed to conflict-induced challenges. Schools demonstrate commitments to general professional development, yet lack specialized training for distributed models, pointing to a necessity for internal leadership development pathways. A key observation is the dominance of veteran educators in leadership roles, suggesting untapped potential among newer staff. This research contributes essential perspectives on leadership in conflict-affected educational environments, proposing strategies for building capacity and promoting sustainability.