Academic leadership during COVID-19 in higher education: technology adoption and adaptation for online learning during a pandemic

Abstract

This paper presents a thematic analysis and critical review of leadership behaviors during the novel coronavirus pandemic, drawn from the 138 publications on COVID-19 in higher education, published between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020, and available as an open access database. The aim is to provide a critical understanding of specific leadership behaviors that influence educational technology adoption and implementation in the higher education sector, by adopting and using iterative examination approach from Braun and Clarke’s framework. This analysis resulted in 20 publications from the open access database that met our criteria, with results indicating an interplay between leadership styles and leadership environment. The leadership styles emerging in our thematic analysis include authentic leadership, servant leadership, leader-member exchange (LMX), situational leadership, distributed leadership, and ineffective forms of leadership. The intersectionality of these styles with components of leadership environment, like social networks and financial management, provides a greater understanding of the types of leadership behaviors that, if developed in higher educational leaders, could support greater preparedness for future periods of uncertainty and change. This paper highlights the importance of targeted leadership development for increasing educational technology efficacy in the higher education sector.

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