The implementation of term limits for school principals, amidst an increasingly digitalized educational governance system, presents new challenges for maintaining school quality. Silvi Osnita and Lia Yuliana from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta found in their May 2026 study that principal transitions should not be viewed merely as routine positional rotations. Their research emphasizes that the succession process must be viewed as an institutional measure to safeguard the continuity of school quality, work culture, supervision, and organizational memory in the era of digital transformation.
Succession Challenges in the Digital Era
Leadership changes are often critical moments that can disrupt school stability. In today's digital era, where school governance systems rely heavily on data and technology infrastructure, new principals are required to rapidly master the organization's digital capacity. If the succession process is not managed effectively, the institutional knowledge—or "organizational memory"—stored within digital systems may be lost or underutilized, ultimately hindering the school's overall performance.
Systematic Review Methodology
The researchers conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) following PRISMA guidelines to synthesize empirical evidence on leadership regeneration. The team performed in-depth searches in the Scopus database, focusing on keyword combinations related to school leadership, succession, governance, and educational digitalization. A total of 155 initial articles were identified and screened to map how digital capacity and institutional support can maintain leadership continuity after a principal's term ends.
Key Findings: Key Factors for Sustainability
The study reveals that the sustainability of leadership regeneration depends heavily on the integration of several strategic elements:
- Digitalization as Institutional Memory: Digital governance systems function as repositories for organizational memory, ensuring that leadership changes do not disrupt the continuity of school work programs.
- Digital Capacity of New Principals: The success of a succession is largely determined by the new principal's ability to adopt and utilize the digital capacity already built by their predecessor.
- Institutional Support: The succession process requires a structured support system, rather than mere administrative transition, to ensure a positive work culture is maintained.
- Planned Succession: Successful leadership regeneration is a process planned from the outset, ensuring that the school's vision remains aligned with the demands of digital governance.
Implications for the Education Sector
The findings of this study affirm that schools must treat leadership succession as part of their risk management strategy. According to Silvi Osnita and Lia Yuliana from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, it is no longer sufficient for principals to possess only traditional managerial skills; they must be leaders capable of leaving behind a strong digital foundation for their successors. For education policymakers, these findings provide guidance that school digital governance systems must be designed to be "resilient" to personnel changes, so that the quality of educational services remains maintained regardless of any individual figure.
Author Profile:
- Silvi Osnita – Researcher, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta; Expertise: Educational Management and Digital Leadership.
- Lia Yuliana – Researcher, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta; Expertise: Educational Management and School Governance.
Research Source: Osnita, S., & Yuliana, L. (2026). "Sustainability of School Leadership Regeneration Based on Digital Governance After Principal Term Limits". International Journal of Education and Life Sciences (IJELS), 4(5). DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijels.v4i5.6
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