The Relationship Between School Leadership Styles and Teacher Job Satisfaction in China
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/ujssh.v4i2.2.2025Keywords:
School Leadership, Teacher Job Satisfaction, China, Transformational Leadership, Distributed LeadershipAbstract
This study investigates the relationship between school leadership styles and teacher job satisfaction within the Chinese educational context. Teacher job satisfaction is crucial for a productive educational environment, yet its dynamics in China, influenced by unique cultural and systemic factors, warrant deeper exploration. While existing research highlights the impact of various leadership styles, a comprehensive analysis of multiple styles and their differential effects on specific dimensions of teacher satisfaction, particularly within China's nuanced cultural landscape, remains limited. Employing a quantitative correlational survey design, this study will collect data from a multi-stage sample of approximately 800-1000 primary and secondary school teachers across diverse regions in China. Perceived leadership styles will be measured using adapted versions of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and instruments for instructional and distributed leadership. Teacher job satisfaction will be assessed using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Anticipated findings suggest that transformational, instructional, and distributed leadership styles will positively and significantly predict overall and intrinsic teacher job satisfaction. Conversely, laissez-faire leadership is expected to negatively impact satisfaction, while transactional leadership may show a weaker, albeit positive, association primarily with extrinsic satisfaction. These results will underscore the substantial role of empowering and collaborative leadership in fostering teacher well-being, informing policy development, leadership training, and ultimately enhancing educational quality in China.
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