Management leadership and gender in the school system
a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18861/cied.2025.16.2.4137Keywords:
managerial leadership, gender, school principals, intersectionality, schoolsAbstract
In a school context with androcentric characteristics, leadership in school management tends to reflect this bias. From access to leadership positions to the exercise of those roles, everything can be shaped by the patriarchal culture that prevails globally. Educational research has increasingly highlighted the role of women in school leadership and the challenges they face. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this study seeks to identify the main themes developed in studies focusing on school leadership from a gender perspective, with the aim of exploring the relationship between leadership and gender. Its relevance lies in clarifying what research has contributed to this field and in identifying advances, barriers, or persistent stereotypes that prevail in schools and need to be reinforced or transformed. The systematic search followed the PRISMA model, using the Web of Science (WOS) database. The search terms were leadership, gender, and education. The years considered were 2018 to 2022, along with other inclusion and exclusion criteria, which led to the identification of 45 articles for in-depth review. After thematic analysis, the results allowed the identification of two main categories: intersectional inequality in leadership trajectories and gender-based differences in leadership practices. The study concludes that there are differences between men and women in terms of leadership style, and that disparities persist in leadership roles, as well as intersectional inequalities in the trajectories of school leaders around the world.
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