Abstract
The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into learning environments has generated significant pedagogical, organisational, and ethical implications. While existing research has largely emphasised technological readiness, perceived usefulness, and instructional outcomes, comparatively limited attention has been devoted to the leadership and governance mechanisms shaping responsible AI adoption. This study develops a conceptual framework that reconceptualises AI adoption in education as a leadership- and governance-driven process. Integrating Strategic Leadership Theory and Stakeholder Theory, the framework explains how leaders’ interpretations of AI influence strategic practices, how these practices shape responsible adoption outcomes, and how stakeholder orientations and regulatory conditions condition governance effectiveness. Responsible AI adoption is conceptualised as a multidimensional organisational achievement encompassing ethical and transparent AI use, fairness and inclusion, learner trust, and long-term educational sustainability. The framework contributes to theory by extending strategic leadership perspectives into AI governance and by positioning stakeholder orientation as a central mechanism in legitimacy-sensitive technology adoption. Practically, the study highlights the importance of leadership cognition, institutional capability development, and stakeholder-inclusive governance. The paper advances understanding of why educational organisations experience heterogeneous AI adoption trajectories and offers a theoretically grounded lens for analysing responsible AI governance in learning environments.