Principals supporting teacher leadership: The effects of learning‐centred leadership on teacher leadership practices with the mediating role of teacher agency

Abstract

Teacher leadership has attracted scholarly interest over the past decade because of its potential to build internal capacity for sustainable school improvement. However, the existing studies have mostly been descriptive and limited to qualitative studies, lacking in terms of showing whether and to what extent principal leadership might influence teacher leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of principals' learning-centred leadership in fostering teacher leadership and the mediating role of teacher agency in Turkey. The study conducted a cross-sectional survey design. Structural equation modeling was used for estimating relationships among variables in the conceptual model.Findings demonstrated that principals' learning-centred leadership had a moderate but statistically significant direct effect on teacher leadership and a significant and moderate effect on teacher agency. Findings also highlighted teacher agency as a significant mediator in the relationship between principals' learning-centred leadership and teacher leadership. The research confirmed that principals' leadership practices with specific emphasis on teaching and learning were important for enhancing a school culture in which teachers' participation in decisions and their enthusiasm for undertaking leadership practices are supported.

The Relationship Between Learning-Centered Leadership and Professional Learning: A Study on SAC Teachers

“…Studies correlating learning-centered leadership with student achievement also support this finding (Özdemir et al, 2021;Reardon, 2011). Moreover, some other studies in the literature indicated that LCL has no direct effect on TPL and that the variables such as teacher trust and teacher agency mediated this relationship (Alazmi & Hammad, 2021;Bellibaş et al, 2020;Hallinger et al, 2017Hallinger et al, , 2019Tayag & Ayuyao, 2020).…”

“…Reardon (2011) found that learningcentered leadership positively affects students' learning and principals' professional development. Bellibaş et al (2020) concluded that learning-centered leadership has an effect on teacher leadership and this relationship is mediated by teacher agency. Kılınç et al (2020) revealed in their studies that learning-centered leadership affects the change in teacher practices both directly and indirectly with the mediating effect of teacher collaboration.…”

The relationship between Chinese preschool principal leadership styles and teacher leadership: Exploring the mediating effect of psychological capital

“…Moreover, in preschool, the individual leadership of the preschool principal is not sufficient to meet the various developmental needs of the school and the children. Every teacher or member of the organization in the preschool has the authority and responsibility to demonstrate their leadership (Bellibaş et al, 2020). Educational reform can be acted upon successfully only when teachers act (Beachum and Dentith, 2004).…”

Teacher leadership and the Turkish context: the impact of the structural characteristics of the school and teacher leadership culture

“…There are various factors in the emergence of teachers' leadership roles and among these factors, school administrators in particular are effective (Danielson, 2006). However, school climate and culture (Ash and Persall, 2000;Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2013;Nguyen et al, 2020), administrator support and leadership with their actions and discourses (Bellibas ¸et al, 2020;Danielson, 2006;Jackson et al, 2010;Nguyen et al, 2020), and collaboration and support among teachers (Nguyen et al, 2020;York-Barr and Duke, 2004) are all factors that support the emergence of teacher leadership. The foundation of this study is the belief that establishing an organizational culture and structure that promotes leadership chances for everyone at school (Ash and Persall, 2000) is critical to the emergence of teacher leadership.…”

“…However, school climate and culture (Ash and Persall, 2000; Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2013; Nguyen et al. , 2020), administrator support and leadership with their actions and discourses (Bellibaş et al. , 2020; Danielson, 2006; Jackson et al.…”