Evolution and Current Research Status of Educational Leadership Theory: A Content Analysis-Based Study

Educational leadership theory is a dynamic and multifaceted subject that emerged from enterprise leadership perspectives, but it necessitates alignment with the practical aspects of educational management. To comprehensively grasp the evolution and present research status of this theory, content analysis is employed in this study to systematically analyze and quantify pertinent information. The key findings are as follows: Firstly, empirical research serves as the predominant research method in studying educational leadership theory. Within this field, qualitative and quantitative research methods are employed simultaneously. Moreover, case studies play a crucial role in advancing the development of issues and the construction of theories. Additionally, the distributed leadership theory has gained significant prominence within the realm of educational leadership. Current research methods employed in this theory are still in a stage of maturity, relying primarily on qualitative research to uncover underlying patterns among social phenomena through examination of specific cases. Finally, the primary focus of educational leadership theory lies in studying school managers and teachers. In light of the influence stemming from distributed leadership theory, teacher leadership has garnered increasing attention from scholars and has emerged as a burgeoning area of interest. This study contributes to the field by presenting a comprehensive framework for cognitive educational leadership theory through an extensive content analysis, thereby offering valuable insights into its overall developmental trajectory. These findings provide a macro-level perspective on educational leadership theory, particularly beneficial for subsequent researchers, especially those new to the field, seeking to grasp the broader landscape of this discipline.