Educational Leadership Research

Abstract The main objective of this study is to identify and analyze the dominant narratives surrounding schools by re-examining the existing body of research literature. To this end, a document-based research approach, specifically a narrative review, was employed. A total of 178 studies were purposefully selected, identified, and refined, and their contents were analyzed using thematic analysis. In this article, the research identity of schools is revisited across nine dimensions: political-ideological, communicative, cooperative and exchange-based, economic-occupational, mental-physical health, organizational-managerial, scientific-educational, physical-architectural, and historical. Drawing upon Sander’s (1989) multidimensional educational management model, these narratives were systematically classified and interpreted. The findings indicate that schools in Iran, as complex and multifaceted institutions, are not merely spaces for education and learning. Rather, they represent arenas where social, cultural, political, and economic forces intersect. This study underscores the need for a comprehensive and multidimensional approach to school management—an approach that fully addresses the various facets of school identity and is grounded in diversity, creativity, and critical thinking. Ultimately, the paper recommends strategies such as fostering interdisciplinary approaches, strengthening critical research, and emphasizing cultural and social diversity as essential to enhancing the quality and depth of the research identity of schools in Iran.