A Systematic Review of the Literature on Educational Leadership in Bangladesh

In the absence of any published comprehensive review of the literature on educational leadership in Bangladesh, this systematic review of the literature was undertaken, covering the period of 25 years from 1999 to 2023. Literature was searched on four databases, including ERIC, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and ProQuest, using four keywords and phrases, including “educational leadership in Bangladesh,” “school leadership in Bangladesh,” “higher education leadership in Bangladesh,” and “educational administration in Bangladesh.” Following the five inclusion and two exclusion criteria, we identified 28 papers for review. This systematic review found that Bangladeshi and international scholars are active in research concerning educational leadership in Bangladesh. However, not many studies could be found that adopted a cultural lens or provided nuanced explanations from cultural perspectives, except for some leadership challenges linked to cultural practices. The review indicates that significant progress has been made, particularly in the shift toward distributed leadership, teacher leadership, and inclusive leadership. Challenges, however, remain concerning the balance in such progress across the country, characterized by huge differences between urban and rural institutions. The review also highlights various leadership practices and their critical role in improving student outcomes, creating an enabling learning environment, promoting collaboration, and creating an inclusive school culture. Bangladesh is currently at a critical juncture in its postindependence history. There is a popular aspiration for drastic reforms in every sector, including education. We argue that the future of educational reforms and development in Bangladesh should be grounded in sound evidence-based policies and practices.