Proceedings of the International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurial Leadership for K-12 Education Excellence (LEADK12 2026)
International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurial Leadership for K-12 Education Excellence (LEADK12 2026)
📍Sibiu, Romania🗓️ 23-25 April 2026
Conference: International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurial Leadership for K-12 Education Excellence (LEADK12 2026)
Date: 23-25 April 2026
Location: Sibiu, Romania (Hybrid)
Website: https://grants.ulbsibiu.ro/leadtheteam/leadk12/en/ The volume Proceedings of the International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurial Leadership for K-12 Education Excellence brings together a diverse and timely collection of scholarly contributions dedicated to rethinking educational leadership in an era marked by digital transformation, social complexity, institutional change, and growing expectations for inclusive and sustainable school development. The conference and its resulting volume create an interdisciplinary space for researchers, school leaders, teacher educators, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how leadership can respond creatively and responsibly to the evolving needs of K-12 education. At the center of this volume lies the conviction that educational excellence cannot be achieved through isolated reforms, but through coherent leadership practices capable of connecting pedagogy, management, innovation, equity, and community engagement. Contemporary school systems are called to prepare learners for uncertain futures, while also ensuring well-being, inclusion, intercultural understanding, and access to meaningful learning opportunities. In this context, leadership becomes not only an administrative function, but also a transformative, ethical, entrepreneurial, and human-centered practice. The themes addressed in this conference reflect some of the most pressing priorities in contemporary education. The volume explores new models of educational leadership for excellence in K-12 education, emphasizing the need for adaptive, collaborative, and future-oriented approaches. It also highlights entrepreneurial leadership as a bridge between schools, universities, businesses, and communities, showing how interdisciplinary partnerships can strengthen educational innovation and institutional resilience. Particular attention is given to the integration and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in educational processes, a topic that is reshaping teaching, learning, governance, quality assurance, and professional development. Several chapters examine Artificial Intelligence and digital transformation from complementary perspectives, ranging from pedagogical models for active learning and faculty adoption frameworks to governance, institutional transformation, media literacy, and inclusive digital strategies. These contributions underline both the opportunities and the risks associated with AI in education, calling for balanced, ethical, and human-centered implementation. Rather than treating technology as an end in itself, the volume positions it as a tool that must serve pedagogical quality, learner development, institutional responsibility, and social justice. The volume also gives significant attention to the human dimension of leadership. Contributions on well-being, creativity, motivation, professional learning communities, growth mindset, and transformative learning emphasize that sustainable educational improvement depends on the development of teachers, school leaders, and institutional cultures. Educational leadership is approached as a practice rooted in reflection, collaboration, resilience, and continuous professional growth. In this regard, the chapters dedicated to teacher training, school leaders’ competencies, multilingual excellence, and professional communities provide valuable insights into how leadership capacity can be cultivated across different educational contexts. Inclusion, equity, and social responsibility represent another major axis of the volume. The chapters addressing inclusive leadership, intercultural competence, vulnerable groups, social justice, differentiated curriculum, and internationalization invite readers to reconsider the role of schools as democratic and socially responsive institutions. These contributions stress that excellence in education must be understood not only in terms of performance, but also in terms of access, participation, dignity, and opportunity for all learners. The integration of vulnerable groups, the overcoming of social class barriers, and the development of intercultural and inclusive school environments are presented as essential dimensions of educational leadership. The international character of the volume is reflected in the variety of contexts and perspectives represented by the chapters. Contributions draw on experiences from K-12 schools, higher education, teacher education, early childhood education, and broader governance frameworks. Case studies, conceptual models, empirical research, theoretical analyses, and applied frameworks are brought together to offer a rich and multifaceted understanding of leadership across educational systems. This diversity strengthens the volume by showing that educational leadership is both context-sensitive and globally relevant. The chapters included in this volume address themes such as curriculum development and differentiated curriculum management, early childhood education leadership, school-community partnerships, quality assurance, motivational theories, immersive educational innovation, sustainable leadership, One Health governance, and the preparation of future school leaders. Together, they demonstrate that educational excellence requires systemic thinking and the ability to connect classroom practices with institutional strategy, community needs, technological innovation, and broader social goals. This volume is intended to serve as a resource for scholars, educational leaders, teachers, administrators, doctoral students, policymakers, and all those interested in the future of educational management and leadership. It offers theoretical perspectives, practical frameworks, and research-based insights that can support reflection, dialogue, and action. More importantly, it invites readers to imagine schools as agile, inclusive, intelligent, and caring organizations capable of nurturing both individual potential and collective well-being. We express our appreciation to all authors whose contributions made this volume possible. Their work reflects a shared commitment to advancing educational leadership, promoting innovation, and supporting excellence across K-12 and related educational environments. We also acknowledge the efforts of reviewers, organizers, academic partners, and institutions involved in the conference, whose dedication helped create a meaningful platform for international scholarly exchange. It is our hope that this volume will inspire further research, collaboration, and institutional transformation. As education systems continue to face complex challenges, the need for visionary, entrepreneurial, inclusive, and sustainable leadership becomes increasingly urgent. The contributions gathered here remind us that educational excellence is not a fixed destination, but an ongoing process of learning, adaptation.
Date: 23-25 April 2026
Location: Sibiu, Romania (Hybrid)
Website: https://grants.ulbsibiu.ro/leadtheteam/leadk12/en/ The volume Proceedings of the International Conference on Management and Entrepreneurial Leadership for K-12 Education Excellence brings together a diverse and timely collection of scholarly contributions dedicated to rethinking educational leadership in an era marked by digital transformation, social complexity, institutional change, and growing expectations for inclusive and sustainable school development. The conference and its resulting volume create an interdisciplinary space for researchers, school leaders, teacher educators, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how leadership can respond creatively and responsibly to the evolving needs of K-12 education. At the center of this volume lies the conviction that educational excellence cannot be achieved through isolated reforms, but through coherent leadership practices capable of connecting pedagogy, management, innovation, equity, and community engagement. Contemporary school systems are called to prepare learners for uncertain futures, while also ensuring well-being, inclusion, intercultural understanding, and access to meaningful learning opportunities. In this context, leadership becomes not only an administrative function, but also a transformative, ethical, entrepreneurial, and human-centered practice. The themes addressed in this conference reflect some of the most pressing priorities in contemporary education. The volume explores new models of educational leadership for excellence in K-12 education, emphasizing the need for adaptive, collaborative, and future-oriented approaches. It also highlights entrepreneurial leadership as a bridge between schools, universities, businesses, and communities, showing how interdisciplinary partnerships can strengthen educational innovation and institutional resilience. Particular attention is given to the integration and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in educational processes, a topic that is reshaping teaching, learning, governance, quality assurance, and professional development. Several chapters examine Artificial Intelligence and digital transformation from complementary perspectives, ranging from pedagogical models for active learning and faculty adoption frameworks to governance, institutional transformation, media literacy, and inclusive digital strategies. These contributions underline both the opportunities and the risks associated with AI in education, calling for balanced, ethical, and human-centered implementation. Rather than treating technology as an end in itself, the volume positions it as a tool that must serve pedagogical quality, learner development, institutional responsibility, and social justice. The volume also gives significant attention to the human dimension of leadership. Contributions on well-being, creativity, motivation, professional learning communities, growth mindset, and transformative learning emphasize that sustainable educational improvement depends on the development of teachers, school leaders, and institutional cultures. Educational leadership is approached as a practice rooted in reflection, collaboration, resilience, and continuous professional growth. In this regard, the chapters dedicated to teacher training, school leaders’ competencies, multilingual excellence, and professional communities provide valuable insights into how leadership capacity can be cultivated across different educational contexts. Inclusion, equity, and social responsibility represent another major axis of the volume. The chapters addressing inclusive leadership, intercultural competence, vulnerable groups, social justice, differentiated curriculum, and internationalization invite readers to reconsider the role of schools as democratic and socially responsive institutions. These contributions stress that excellence in education must be understood not only in terms of performance, but also in terms of access, participation, dignity, and opportunity for all learners. The integration of vulnerable groups, the overcoming of social class barriers, and the development of intercultural and inclusive school environments are presented as essential dimensions of educational leadership. The international character of the volume is reflected in the variety of contexts and perspectives represented by the chapters. Contributions draw on experiences from K-12 schools, higher education, teacher education, early childhood education, and broader governance frameworks. Case studies, conceptual models, empirical research, theoretical analyses, and applied frameworks are brought together to offer a rich and multifaceted understanding of leadership across educational systems. This diversity strengthens the volume by showing that educational leadership is both context-sensitive and globally relevant. The chapters included in this volume address themes such as curriculum development and differentiated curriculum management, early childhood education leadership, school-community partnerships, quality assurance, motivational theories, immersive educational innovation, sustainable leadership, One Health governance, and the preparation of future school leaders. Together, they demonstrate that educational excellence requires systemic thinking and the ability to connect classroom practices with institutional strategy, community needs, technological innovation, and broader social goals. This volume is intended to serve as a resource for scholars, educational leaders, teachers, administrators, doctoral students, policymakers, and all those interested in the future of educational management and leadership. It offers theoretical perspectives, practical frameworks, and research-based insights that can support reflection, dialogue, and action. More importantly, it invites readers to imagine schools as agile, inclusive, intelligent, and caring organizations capable of nurturing both individual potential and collective well-being. We express our appreciation to all authors whose contributions made this volume possible. Their work reflects a shared commitment to advancing educational leadership, promoting innovation, and supporting excellence across K-12 and related educational environments. We also acknowledge the efforts of reviewers, organizers, academic partners, and institutions involved in the conference, whose dedication helped create a meaningful platform for international scholarly exchange. It is our hope that this volume will inspire further research, collaboration, and institutional transformation. As education systems continue to face complex challenges, the need for visionary, entrepreneurial, inclusive, and sustainable leadership becomes increasingly urgent. The contributions gathered here remind us that educational excellence is not a fixed destination, but an ongoing process of learning, adaptation.