Empowering leadership in educational contexts: A bibliometric analysis to guide management in the framework of SDG 4

Abstract

Empowering leadership (EL) has emerged as a critical leadership approach in educational contexts, particularly in response to increasing demands for innovation, teacher autonomy, and sustainable institutional development. However, despite the rapid growth of studies in this field, the intellectual structure, collaboration patterns, thematic evolution, and contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) remain fragmented and insufficiently synthesized. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of EL research in educational settings indexed in the Scopus database from 1999 to 2026. A total of 84 publications were analyzed using bibliometric performance indicators and science mapping techniques, including co-authorship analysis, keyword co-occurrence, three-field plot visualization, citation analysis, and thematic clustering, supported by Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. The results reveal a strong upward publication trend with a coefficient of determination of R² = 77.54%, particularly accelerating after 2018 and reaching the highest output in 2025. Citation influence remains concentrated in foundational studies published in high-impact journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Knowledge Management, and Leadership Quarterly. China and Indonesia emerge as major international collaboration hubs, while Indonesia shows the strongest author–keyword linkage. Keyword analysis identifies dominant themes related to psychological empowerment, teacher autonomy, innovative work behavior, job satisfaction, and distributed leadership. Notably, 74 out of 84 publications (88.1%) are aligned with SDG 4, highlighting the strong integration of EL research with global educational sustainability agendas. This study offers the first structured intellectual map of EL in education, identifies influential contributors and emerging research directions, and provides evidence-based guidance for educational leadership development aligned with quality education and sustainable transformation.