Beyond Algorithms: Women’s Leadership as the Moral Compass of AI-Driven Curriculum Reform

Abstract

This conceptual study examines how women’s leadership can guide ethical and inclusive approaches to AI-driven curriculum reform in higher education. As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves from a technical tool into a strategic driver of educational change, concerns about equity, ethics, and inclusivity become increasingly urgent, particularly given the persistent underrepresentation of women in academic leadership.

Drawing on theoretical frameworks including Freire’s critical pedagogy, Noddings’ ethics of care, Eisner’s educational imagination, Shields’ transformative leadership, Tyler’s curriculum design model, and feminist curriculum theory, the analysis highlights how feminist leadership perspectives can counter algorithmic bias and shape ethical, relational approaches to AI-enhanced curriculum design.

A selective review of the literature on AI in higher education and gendered leadership identifies both opportunities and structural challenges related to representation and governance. This study offers a theoretically grounded framework for advancing inclusive AI-enhanced curricula and outlines practical implications for leadership development, ethical policy structures, and faculty capacity building. Recommendations for future research on women-led AI curriculum reform in higher education are also provided.