Development of transformational leadership research in higher education: A brief bibliometric review

Abstract

General objective of this article was to examine the growth and thematic development of transformational leadership (TL) research in higher education from 1996 to 2025 using bibliometric analysis, in an attempt to respond to the following research questions; how was the TL literature for the last thirty years? what were the most contributing authors, articles and countries? what are the important subtopics related to TL research?, and what are the future research directions?. A bibliometric review careful examined 556 articles extracted from the Scopus database, using PRISMA principles. Articles were examined using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny package software. Results show an increase in TL research in higher education, with an increase in publication after the year 2019,motivated by interest in innovation, digital transformation, and institutional resilience in academia. Transformational leadership research themes progressed from leadership traits and accountability to current emphasis on psychological capital, knowledge sharing, education 4.0, and post pandemic leadership. Future research directions highlight the need for more methodological approaches, expanded geographical representation, and more research of university department leadership and moderators such as culture and digital expertise. By mapping the intellectual terrain, this study contributes to theory development and guides future research and policy in advancing leadership practices within higher education institutions.Keywords: Higher education, transformational leadership, academic leadership, leadership trends, bibliometric analysis