A Conceptual Model of Educational Leadership in Emerging Schools: Dynamic and Future Oriented Learning Ecosystems

A B S T R A C T
Educational leadership in emerging schools, as a novel approach to school guidance and administration, is oriented toward systematically responding to the rapid technological, social, and cognitive changes in contemporary education. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to identify the dimensions and components of educational leadership in emerging schools and to propose a conceptual model for their effective leadership.This study adopted a qualitative approach and employed inductive qualitative content analysis. The research field consisted of nationally recognized experts in educational management during the period 2025–2026, who were selected through criterion purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. In total, 21 participants took part in the study. Data were collected through in depth semi structured interviews.Data analysis involved the extraction of meaning units, generation of initial codes, formation of main categories, and abstraction of overarching themes. Trustworthiness of the findings was ensured through triangulation at three levels. The findings revealed that the educational leadership model for emerging schools within dynamic and future oriented learning ecosystems is grounded in seven core dimensions: visionary and future oriented leadership, leadership for teaching and learning, technological and smart leadership, participatory and distributed leadership, Data Network Security Leadership, Strategic Planning Leadership and ethical and caring leadership. Overall, the results indicate that the proposed model can support educational leaders in enhancing the dynamism, flexibility, and developmental capacity of emerging schools.