The study identifies a critical gap in higher education

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the stated research gap and abstract and recommendations and stated challenges and future-work section of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2016 and 2026, spanning 6 journals. Those papers have been cited 98 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 6 representative gaps

• Higher Education Digital Academic Leadership: Perceptions and Practices from Chinese University Leaders (2025) · Education Sciences · cited 21× · doi

  The study identifies a critical gap in higher education leadership research, as empirical studies on digital academic leadership remain scarce. It highlights the need for a framework to theorize digital academic leadership as a situated practice. The study also reveals the lack of evidence-based strategies for effective digital academic leadership implementation in Chinese universities.

  generalstated research gap
  Keywords: study identifies critical gap higher education leadership research
• Transformational Leadership and Organizational Processes: Influencing Public Performance (2016) · Public Administration Review · cited 63× · doi

  However, a key question has not been adequately addressed in prior literature on the topic: how do leadership processes make a difference? Using data on New York City public schools, this article explores the organizational mechanisms by which a specific form of principal's leadership—transformational leadership—influences objective organizational outcomes as measured by standardized test scores.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: leadership organizational question adequately addressed prior literature topic processes make difference using york city public
• Investigation of Principals’ Technology Leadership Profiles in the context of Schools’ Learning Organization Culture and ICT Infrastructure: F@tih Project Schools vs. the Others (2016) · TED EĞİTİM VE BİLİM · cited 14× · doi

  Although there is a growing body of literature about the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into K-12 schools and the ways how individually school principals can lead and support these initiatives, little is known about to what extent principals’ technology leadership (TL) practices are predictable by school’s organization culture and present ICT infrastructure.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: school principals there growing body literature integration information communication technologies schools ways individually lead support
• The Impact of School Principals' Digital Leadership Level on Learning Organization and Teachers' Self Leadership Skills (2026) · Hacettepe University Journal of Education · doi

  -This study revealed that the digital leadership level of school principals positively contributes to the level of schools becoming learning organizations and the level of teachers' self-leadership skills. In the study, teachers' digital leadership perception levels about school principals were found to be high. However, school principals can still receive the necessary in-service training and renew themselves to improve their digital leadership levels. - The digital leadership skills of school principals can be taken into consideration as a criterion during the school principal assignment phase. School principals with high digital leadership levels can be preferred. - It may be beneficial to allocate a budget to schools during the digitalization process in education. - School principals should positively motivate teachers, students and parents for digital transformation in education. - School principals can make a significant contribution to the transformation of schools into learning organizations and the development of teachers' self-leadership skills by further increasing their digital leadership levels. It is thought that these developments will affect students' academic success positively.

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: leadership school digital principals teachers levels level positively schools skills learning organizations self high education
• Directing the wave of digitalization by leadership development for digital universities: a grounded theory study (2026) · International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education · doi

  The study identifies the challenge of developing effective leadership in digital universities. The research highlights the need for academic leaders to develop essential attributes and competencies to guide their institutions effectively during digitalization. The study emphasizes the importance of navigating complex relationships between causal, contextual, and intervening conditions for fostering leadership in digital universities.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: study identifies challenge developing effective leadership digital universities
• Reconfiguração dos paradigmas da gestão educacional na era digital: interfaces entre inovação pedagógica, governança institucional e transformação dos processos de ensino e aprendizagem (2026) · Revista edUCA - Revista Multidisciplinar da Faculdade Católica Paulista · doi

  Future research should consider the development of more quantitative and empirical studies on the digital transformation of education. The study suggests that future research should prioritize the analysis of the interfaces between pedagogical innovation, institutional governance, and teaching and learning processes. The research implies that future studies should consider the role of leadership and the creation of a culture of change in promoting digital transformation.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: future research consider development quantitative empirical studies digital

Questions about this gap