Leading collaborative innovation in schools: A psychometric network and meta-analytical approach using TALIS 2018

In an era of rapid global change – from pandemics and climate crises to technological shifts and social inequalities – schools need leadership that sparks collaborative innovation to build resilience and equity in lower secondary education. Drawing on TALIS 2018 data from 48 countries (approximately 260,000 teachers and 15,000 principals), this study uses psychometric network analysis and meta-analytical synthesis to explore how specific leadership and collaboration practices interconnect at the item level across seven key scales: instructional leadership, distributed leadership, partnerships, organizational innovativeness, professional collaboration in lessons, team innovativeness and teacher exchange. Our findings reveal that teacher collaboration forms the vibrant core of these networks, with practices like joint professional learning and team conferences acting as central bridges. While collaboration patterns show remarkable stability across countries, connections between distributed leadership and innovation vary widely (I ²  > 90%), highlighting the importance of context. Instructional leadership practices often appear more peripheral, suggesting opportunities to better integrate them with distributed approaches. These insights strengthen the theoretical integration of instructional and distributed leadership models and offer practical guidance for school leaders: prioritizing professional learning communities and shared decision-making can drive equitable, innovative practices tailored to diverse cultural and ecosocial challenges.