Integrative framework, principles, components and impact on educational quality: A systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22218388Keywords:
Educational Scientific Management, evidence-based leadership, school management, informed decision-making, educational improvement, school effectivenessAbstract
This article aims to analyze the concept of Educational Scientific Management (ESM), outlining its fundamental principles, structural components, and empirical evidence regarding its impact on improving educational quality. It also seeks to propose an integrative framework that transcends intuitive or purely administrative management models. Regarding the methodology, a systematic and narrative review of international literature published between 2011 and March 2026 was conducted. The search was performed in high-impact, specialized academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC), supplemented by queries in Google Scholar to ensure comprehensiveness. The findings reveal that ESM rests on four interconnected pillars: 1) the systematic use of data and research for decision-making, 2) the implementation of empirically supported pedagogical interventions, 3) the promotion of a culture of evaluation and continuous improvement, and 4) distributed and empowering leadership. The literature confirms a positive correlation between the application of these principles and student academic achievement, teacher professional development, and the organizational effectiveness of educational institutions. In conclusion, educational scientific management emerges as an essential paradigm for addressing the complex challenges of contemporary educational systems. Its adoption requires leaders who act as "action researchers," fostering learning organizations.
Downloads
References
Baradziej, S., & Kochanska, A. (2026). The adaptive learning taxonomy for responsible large language model integration in higher education. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 6, 703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-026-01528-1
Barthakur, A., Marrone, R., Esnaashari, S., Kovanovic, V., & Dawson, S. (2025). Advancing holistic decision-making systems in schools: Insights from academic research and practical applications. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 41(3), e70021. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.70021
Bellibaş, M. Ş., Ninković, S., & Polatcan, M. (2026). Educational leadership and teacher instructional practices: A meta-analytic comparison of leadership models. International Journal of Educational Management, 40(4), 765–785. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-12-2025-1081
Biesta, G. J. J. (2010). Why 'what works' still won't work: From evidence-based education to value-based education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 29(5), 491–503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-010-9191-x
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Bryk, A. S., Gomez, L. M., Grunow, A., & LeMahieu, P. G. (2015). Learning to improve: How America's schools can get better at getting better. Harvard Education Press.
Davies, P. (1999). What is evidence-based education? British Journal of Educational Studies, 47(2), 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8527.00106
Dávila Ramírez, J. R., Huertas Martínez, J. A., & Leal Soto, F. A. (2024). Psychological structure of teacher well-being: Justification of a situated model. Revista de Psicodidáctica (English Ed.), 29(1), 19–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psicoe.2023.12.001
Emiru, E. K., & Berhanu, K. Z. (2025). Distributed leadership and student engagement in Ethiopia: The mediating role of teacher self-efficacy. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 10(3), 672–721. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1618955
Erdoğan, O., Sezgin, F., Özdemir, S., Özdemir, N., & Zepeda, S. J. (2024). How national and school cultural factors influence the link between distributed leadership and collective teacher innovativeness: Testing a multilevel moderated mediation model. European Journal of Education, 59(4), e12718. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12718
Evadzi, C., Osei, S., & Mensah, M. A. (2026). Exploring distributed leadership as a catalyst for basic school improvement in the Ghanaian context. European Journal of Contemporary Education and E-Learning, 4(1), 150–170. https://doi.org/10.59324/ejceel.2026.4(1).12
Fauzan, A., Sumintono, B., & Retnawati, H. (2026). Data-driven planning cycles in Indonesian secondary schools: A qualitative case study. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 54(2), 315–334.
Fox, R. A., Sharma, U., & Leif, E. S. (2024). The factors that count: Predicting implementation fidelity of evidence-based behavioural supports in Australian schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(7), 1133–1149. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1979669
Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5.ª ed.). Teachers College Press.
Hallinger, P., Gümüş, S., & Bellibaş, M. Ş. (2020). 'Are principals instructional leaders yet?' A science map of the knowledge base on instructional leadership, 1940–2018. Scientometrics, 122(3), 1629–1650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03360-5
Halvorsen, J., Ertesvåg, S. K., Skage, I., & Roland, P. (2025). Understanding the variability in implementation quality in the Resilient intervention. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 70(3), 648–665. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2025.2506382
Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. Teachers College Press.
Harris, A. (2013). Distributed leadership: Friend or foe? Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 41(5), 545–554. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143213497635
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203887332
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203181522
Hsieh, C.-C., & Khau, A. H. (2026). Distributed leadership's impact on instructional practices: Mediators of self-efficacy and school innovativeness, moderated by autonomy. International Journal of Educational Development, 123, 103590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2026.103590
Kaya, K., Erdogan, O., Yesil, Y., & Sezgin, F. (2024). The roles of collective teacher efficacy and commitment in the relationship between Turkish language teachers' job satisfaction and school principal distributed leadership. SAGE Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241271136
Koullapi, K., & Lyra, O. (2026). Fostering inclusive school improvement through school self-evaluation: Insights from a case study in Cyprus. Cambridge Journal of Education. 56(2), 155-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2026.2628010
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
Lasaca, E. R. (2024). Exploring the assessment strategies of secondary school teachers in schools: Views of novice teachers. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 9(5), 2541–2549. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY2312
Lee, C., Camburn, E. M., & Sebastian, J. (2025). School context, school leaders' data-informed decision making, and student achievement: Evidence from Florida. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 36(1), 45–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2024.2436889
Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2006). Transformational school leadership for large-scale reform: Effects on students, teachers, and their classroom practices. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 17(2), 201–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450600565829
Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2020). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited. School Leadership & Management, 40(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2019.1596077
Locke, J., Corbin, C. M., Collins, V. K., Ehrhart, M. G., Goosey, R., Hatch, K., ... & Lyon, A. R. (2024). Helping Educational Leaders Mobilize Evidence (HELM): The iterative redesign of the Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) intervention for use in schools. Implementation Science, 19(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1177/26334895241242523
Mandinach, E. B., & Schildkamp, K. (2021). Misconceptions about data-based decision making in education: An exploration of the literature. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 69, 100842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2020.100842
McNamara, G., Brown, M., & O'Hara, J. (2025). School self-evaluation for values and ethos: A network of Irish schools. Frontiers in Education, 10.
Mozombite Inuma, D. T., & Ruiz Mori, R. (2025). Programa educativo de inteligencia artificial para mejorar la toma de decisiones estratégicas en el personal educativo del Instituto de Educación Superior Tecnológico Público Joaquín Reátegui Medina Nauta 2024 [Tesis de maestría, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana]. https://repositorio.unapiquitos.edu.pe/items/84e3da25-fc87-49eb-a2a8-92667e32e3c6
Mukhtar, S., Razak, A. Z. A., Setiyowati, N., & Adni, M. A. (2025). Educational leadership innovation: A recent comprehensive structured review. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 19(4), 2342–2350. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v19i4.23239
Nunes, T., Stylianides, G. J., Lea, R., & Matthews, L. (2024). Replication in educational interventions: Developing a tool to measure and promote fidelity. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 48(4), 402–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2024.2420336
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372(71). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pietsch, M., Aydin, B., & Gümüs, S. (2025). Putting the instructional leadership-student achievement relation in context: A meta-analytical big data study across cultures and time. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 47(1), 29–64. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737231197434
Quico-Quispe, R. I., Lescano-López, G. S., Boy-Barreto, A. M., & Olivos-Jimenez, L. M. (2024). La evaluación formativa en el nivel primaria en América Latina: Una revisión sistemática. Episteme Koinonia, 7(13), 130–149. https://doi.org/10.35381/e.k.v7i13.3210
Robinson, V. M. J., Lloyd, C. A., & Rowe, K. J. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership types. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(5), 635–674. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X08321509
Rojas-Bravo, J., Fromm, G., & Carrasco-Ogaz, D. (2024). School conditions and principal practices promoting instructional data use in high-stakes accountability systems. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 83, 101399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2024.101399
Scheerens, J. (Ed.). (2012). School leadership effects revisited: Review and meta-analysis of empirical studies. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2768-7
Schildkamp, K., Poortman, C. L., & Handelzalts, A. (2016). Data teams for school improvement. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 27(2), 228-254. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2015.1056192
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed leadership. Jossey-Bass.
van Geel, M., Keuning, T., Visscher, A. J., & Fox, J. P. (2016). Assessing the effects of a school-wide data-based decision-making intervention on student achievement growth in primary schools. American Educational Research Journal, 53(2), 360–394. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831216637346
Villarroel-Henríquez, V., & Gallardo-Aguayo, C. (2024). Gestión educativa basada en evidencias para la mejora escolar. Estudios Pedagógicos, 50(2), 319–341. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-07052024000200319
Wu, H., & Shen, J. (2026). Validating the Learning-Centered School Leadership Framework for predicting student achievement: Evidence from meta-analysis. Journal of School Leadership, 36(1), 116–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/10526846251374239
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal is licensed under the Attribution License (CC BY), allowing the possibility of copying, distributing, displaying, and producing derivative works, as long as the author is acknowledged and cited.
