NAVIGATING THE AI ERA: TRANSFORMING EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is affecting educational leadership and management through the impact it makes on decision-making, instruction delivery, administration and institutional governance. This research paper analyses the role played by AI in educational leadership and management based on an examination of the existing literature. The concepts of AI, educational leadership and educational management are discussed in detail in this paper, and their theoretical basis is analyzed using the Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Transformational Leadership Theory. Additionally, the paper analyses the evolution of AI in education, its applications in administrative and instructional leadership, competencies of educational leaders in relation to AI, and issues of ethics, technology, finance and policy regarding its implementation. The literature review demonstrates that AI has great potential to make decision-making more data-driven, increase administrative efficiency, provide personalized instruction, enable strategic planning and improve resource management in education. In conclusion, AI incorporation in education is possible through a vision-led, principled, and humane approach to educational leadership that integrates technology with the very purpose of education. Through an examination of current perspectives at a global level in conjunction with Africa and Nigeria specifically, this study provides a context-specific framework for educational leaders and policymakers to leverage AI and develop an educational system that is innovative and sustainable.