Human Resource Management in Education and Its Role in Enhancing Teacher Professionalism: A Literature Review

Abstract

Human Resource Management (HRM) in education plays a pivotal role in enhancing teacher professionalism, particularly in response to increasing demands for educational quality and the ongoing transformation of teaching practices in the digital era. Despite its strategic importance, existing studies indicate that the implementation of educational HRM often encounters challenges, including ineffective leadership, inadequate professional development systems, and suboptimal management of human capital in schools. This study aims to systematically examine the role of educational human resource management in improving teacher professionalism through a comprehensive review of recent scholarly literature. Employing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, this study analyzes 32 national and international journal articles published between 2020 and 2025. Data were collected through a structured search and selection process based on predefined inclusion criteria and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate that key dimensions of educational HRM—such as recruitment and selection, continuous professional development, performance appraisal, leadership support, and digital competency development—have a significant influence on teachers’ professional competence, pedagogical skills, and commitment to continuous improvement. Moreover, the integration of digital-based HRM practices emerges as a crucial factor in strengthening teacher professionalism in contemporary educational settings. The novelty of this study lies in its integrative synthesis of educational human resource management practices and their direct linkage to teacher professionalism. Theoretically, this research enriches the discourse on HRM in education, while practically it provides valuable insights for school leaders and policymakers in designing effective strategies for sustainable teacher professional development.