The Role of Ethical Leadership in Reducing the Digital Divide and Increasing Educational Equity During the Digital Transformation of Universities
Keywords:
ethical leadership, digital divide, educational equity, digital transformation, higher educationAbstract
This study aimed to systematically review the role of ethical leadership in reducing the digital divide and increasing educational equity during the digital transformation of universities. This study was conducted as a systematic review of peer-reviewed and scholarly literature published between January 2015 and May 2026. Searches were performed in Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, ProQuest, Education Source, ScienceDirect, and IEEE Xplore using keywords related to ethical leadership, digital transformation, digital divide, digital inclusion, educational equity, higher education, artificial intelligence, and university governance. The initial search identified 1,286 records. After removing duplicates and screening titles, abstracts, and full texts based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 38 studies were included in the final synthesis. Data were extracted using a standardized form and analyzed through qualitative thematic synthesis. The findings showed that ethical and inclusive leadership was the most frequently identified theme, appearing in 31 of the 38 included studies. Digital access and technological infrastructure were reported in 30 studies, while digital literacy and digital competence were identified in 29 studies. Equity-oriented institutional governance appeared in 27 studies, faculty development and inclusive digital pedagogy in 20 studies, and data ethics, privacy, and algorithmic responsibility in 15 studies. The most prominent leadership mechanisms were development of digital competence, fair allocation of digital resources, care-oriented support for vulnerable students, participatory decision-making, institutional accountability, and ethical management of student data. The synthesis indicated that ethical leadership contributes to educational equity through distributive, pedagogical, participatory, relational, and regulatory pathways. Ethical leadership is a fundamental condition for ensuring that university digital transformation reduces rather than reinforces educational inequality. Universities can promote digital equity when leaders align technological innovation with fairness, transparency, accessibility, accountability, student support, faculty readiness, and protection of digital rights.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zeinab Sedaghatian (Corresponding author)
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