Transformation of School Leadership in the AI Era: Requisite Leadership Roles of Teachers

Kesim E.

JOURNAL OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION-EGITIMDE NITEL ARASTIRMALAR DERGISI, sa.44, ss.188-211, 2025 (ESCI)

Özet

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to investigate the transformation of leadership roles of school principals in line with teacher views. Semi-structured interviews have been carried out with teachers from different school levels, and the data have been analysed through content and descriptive methods. The findings have been collected under three main themes: (1) Changing roles and competencies of school principals in the AI era; (2) Reflection of leadership roles to school managementprocesses in the AI era; (3) Barriers against the effective use of artificial intelligence by school principals. The participants have expressed that school principals should lead not only executive functions but also digital transformation processes, provide necessary guidance to teachers and make decisions with higher ethical sensitivity. However, the technology incompetence and resistance to change of school principals, along with problems related to infrastructure are the main obstacles within the transformation process. This study proposes that school principals should be given such trainings as systematic artificial intelligence literacy and digital leadership; the technological infrastructure of schools should be reinforced; and such emotional intelligence-based support programs aimed to transform the attitudes of school principals against the transition should be developed