Transformational leadership and crisis resilience in K-12 schools: a review

Abstract

Global disruptions, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, have intensified the need to understand how school leadership supports crisis response and organizational resilience. Although transformational leadership (TL) is widely associated with positive educational outcomes, it is role in crisis contexts remains fragmented and requires clearer synthesis. This systematic literature review examined the relationship between TL, crisis response, and organizational resilience in K–12 schools. Guided by the PRISMA framework, searches were conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC. A total of 251 records were identified, of which 21 empirical studies met the final inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was assessed using the mixed methods appraisal tool (2018), and the findings were synthesized thematically. The review found that TL supports crisis response by strengthening direction, trust, communication, teacher commitment, and collective mobilization. However, it is influence is neither direct nor sufficient on its own. Rather, TL contributes to crisis resilience through psychological, organizational, and digital pathways, including teacher self-efficacy, emotional well-being, collective efficacy, organizational learning, relational coordination, and digital adaptation. The findings further indicate that leadership effectiveness is shaped by contextual conditions, including digital infrastructure, workload, organizational support, policy flexibility, and socio-cultural context. This review contributes a critical, mechanism-based explanation of how and under what conditions TL supports crisis resilience in K–12 schools.