70+ Years of Vice-Principalship Research: A Systematic Review of Issues,Methods,and Key Findings

Abstract

Purpose: Vice-principalship has emerged as a key focus in educational leadership because of its vital role in supporting school administration and instruction. However, as vice-principals’ primarily administrative functions evolve into more instructional and transformational leadership roles, evaluating their status and contributions in school management becomes increasingly complex. This systematic review aims to critically synthesize and map the empirical and theoretical landscape of vice-principalship research from 1946 to the present, in order to clarify the roles, frameworks, methods, and key insights that inform policy, practice, and future scholarly inquiry in educational leadership. Methods: To address this, we systematically reviewed 131 empirical studies, from pre-1990 to the present, to analyze the research issues, theoretical frameworks, and methodological approaches shaping the field. A summative content analysis was performed. Findings: The results are threefold. First, research has evolved from viewing vice-principals merely as administrative figures to recognizing their broader leadership roles. Second, significant theoretical and methodological gaps exist, as many studies lack explicit frameworks and rely predominantly on qualitative methods. Third, despite their expanding responsibilities, vice-principals continue to face systemic challenges such as role ambiguity, increased workload, and limited professional development. Overall, to move the field forward, these findings emphasize the necessity of breaking methodological stagnation and expanding theoretical perspectives in vice-principalship research, ensuring a more comprehensive exploration of their evolving leadership roles.