Conferences are where much of the field’s work first appears, often a year or two before it reaches the journals. For doctoral students they are also the usual route into a research community: a first paper presentation, feedback from discussants and contact with possible examiners or collaborators. The meetings listed below are those that regularly host substantial programmes on school leadership, administration and policy. Most work on an annual cycle, with calls for proposals closing several months before the event, so the timing column is worth reading together with the deadline column.
| Conference | Organiser | Usually held | Typical submission deadline | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AERA Annual Meeting | American Educational Research Association | April (2027: 14–18 April, Toronto) | Late July of the previous year (2027 meeting: 24 July 2026) | https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/Annual-Meeting |
| UCEA Annual Convention | University Council for Educational Administration | November (2026: 18–21 November, Pittsburgh) | May (2026 convention: 11 May 2026) | https://www.ucea.org/convention.php |
| European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) | European Educational Research Association (EERA) | Late August or early September (2027: 31 August–3 September, Debrecen) | End of January (2027: submissions open 1 December 2026, close 31 January 2027) | https://eera-ecer.de/conferences/ecer-2027-debrecen |
| BELMAS Annual Conference | British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society | July (2026: 3–5 July, Cardiff) | November of the previous year | https://www.belmas.org.uk |
| ICSEI Congress | International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement | January (2027: 4–8 January, Banff, Canada) | See website | https://www.icsei.net |
| International Forum on Educational Management (EYFOR) | Eğitim Yöneticileri ve Uzmanları Derneği (EYUDER), with host universities | Late April or May (2026: 11–15 May, Kemer, Antalya) | See website | https://www.eyfor.org |
AERA Annual Meeting
The American Educational Research Association holds the largest general meeting in education research, with more than 15,000 attendees each year. Leadership researchers mainly submit to Division A (Administration, Organization and Leadership), which deals with PK–12 leadership in and beyond schools, and to special interest groups such as SIG 101, Leadership for School Improvement. Formats include paper sessions, symposia, roundtables and posters. The 2027 meeting takes place in Toronto from 14 to 18 April.
UCEA Annual Convention
The University Council for Educational Administration has met each autumn since 1986, and its convention is the main gathering for university-based educational leadership faculty, doctoral students and professionals in the United States. Session types include paper sessions, symposia, roundtables and shorter formats such as Ignite presentations, alongside pre-convention workshops and a Graduate Student Summit. Research proposals are limited to three single-spaced pages. The 2026 convention is in Pittsburgh from 18 to 21 November.
ECER (EERA Network 26: Educational Leadership)
ECER is the annual conference of the European Educational Research Association and one of the largest educational research conferences in Europe. Papers are submitted to one of EERA’s numbered networks; leadership research belongs to Network 26, Educational Leadership, which at ECER 2026 in Tampere programmed 130 papers, 12 symposia and several posters and workshops. An Emerging Researchers’ Conference for doctoral and early-career researchers runs immediately before the main event. ECER 2027 will be held at the University of Debrecen, Hungary.
BELMAS Annual Conference
BELMAS is the principal UK society for research on educational leadership, management and administration. Its annual conference combines keynote lectures, paper sessions and posters, and much of its activity is organised through Research Interest Groups, for instance on governance and on gender and educational leadership. The meeting is smaller than AERA or ECER, which makes it a good setting for a first presentation. The 2026 conference was held in Cardiff in July, with abstracts due at the end of November 2025.
ICSEI Congress
The International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement meets once a year, usually in January, and draws researchers, policymakers and practitioners from more than 80 countries. Its programme centres on research into policy and practice in school effectiveness, improvement and innovation, so it suits work on leadership for improvement and system reform. The 2026 congress took place in Doha; the 2027 congress is in Banff, Canada, from 4 to 8 January.
International Forum on Educational Management (EYFOR)
EYFOR, known in Turkish as the Uluslararası Eğitim Yönetimi Forumu, is an annual meeting organised by the Ankara-based association Eğitim Yöneticileri ve Uzmanları Derneği (EYUDER) together with Turkish partner universities. Recent editions have been held in Kemer, Antalya: the sixteenth in spring 2025 and the seventeenth from 11 to 15 May 2026, the latter in cooperation with BELMAS. Most participants come from Turkish universities and schools, though international delegations also attend; a university from Kazakhstan, for example, sent a delegation to the 2025 forum.
Before you submit
Dates, venues and deadlines change from year to year, and deadlines are sometimes extended. Check each organiser’s website for the current call for proposals, submission rules and registration fees before planning a submission or booking travel.
Last reviewed: October 2026