Producción científica en liderazgo escolar: un análisis bibliométrico de artículos de acceso abierto indexados en Scopus (2021-2025)

Objective. This study analyzes open-access scientific output on school leadership published in Scopus-indexed journals between 2021 and 2025. Its objective is to identify growth dynamics, the most productive authors, countries, and institutions, leading journals, collaboration networks, and emerging research topics, in order to provide an updated overview of the structure and evolution of this field of study. Design/Methodology/Approach. A quantitative bibliometric analysis was conducted on a set of 2,941 articles retrieved from the Scopus database. Indicators of scientific output, citation, and collaboration were examined. Co-authorship networks and keyword co-occurrence were also analyzed using VOSviewer software to identify collaboration patterns and thematic structures. Results/Discussion. The results show sustained growth in scientific output, with an annual rate of 11.2%. Research is concentrated in a limited number of specialized journals and among a small core of highly productive authors. The United States remains the leader in scientific output, while Asia and Oceania are emerging as new research hubs. The thematic analysis reveals a diversification toward areas related to professional development, digital transformation, educational technologies, and organizational complexity, indicating a broadening of the field’s conceptual scope.. Conclusions. Research on school leadership is undergoing sustained expansion and growing thematic and geographic diversification. Although the study is limited to open-access articles indexed in Scopus, it offers a solid overview of the field and identifies trends that can guide future research agendas. Originality/Value. This study provides an updated bibliometric assessment of research on school leadership for the 2021-2025 period. It contributes to understanding the evolution, structure, and emerging trends in this field and offers relevant insights for researchers, policymakers, and education specialists.