The impact of teacher leadership on teacher well-being through teacher self-efficacy in Guiyang City in China : a mixed-methods approach /

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Student Theses

2023

Fu, Qingchen

Hong Kong : The Education University of Hong Kong

Thesis

Focusing on teacher leadership (TL) has been an important goal of educational reform in China since 2010. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between TL, teacher self-efficacy (TSE), and teacher well-being (TW) by using the lens of the Job Demands/Resources (JD-R) theory. Therefore, this study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the perception of TL and to explore how TL works on TSE and, thus, influences TW in the Chinese context.In this study, a sequential mixed-methods explanatory design was employed. In the first phase, the objective of the quantitative study was to address research questions 2 and 3. The questionnaires were delivered to 371 samples. The analysis strategy for the quantitative data included ANOVA, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Three existing scales, the Teacher Leadership Inventory (TLI), Teacher Well-being Inventory (TWI), and the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale (OSTES) were used to examine the relationship between TL, TSE, and TW (research questions 2 and 3).In the second phase, this study conducted a qualitative study. 20 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews to gather information for the qualitative study. The findings of the qualitative research were to address teachers’ perception of TL (research question 1) and help the interpretation of the quantitative results. Thematic analysis was applied to emerge three themes related to teachers’ perception of TL, including the leadership at the teacher level reflected in the contribution to teacher competence, leadership at the student level reflected in the concern for the student learning and mental health, and communication with parents and leadership at the school level reflected in the involvement in school management.The study synthesised the quantitative and qualitative results to answer the research questions. The results showed (1) TL positively and negatively associated with TW; and (2) TSE mediated the relationship between TL and TSE. Specifically, TL mainly promoted TW by facilitating teachers’ professional development, recognition, and serving as a role model. TL undermine TW by assigning excessive workloads and fostering a highly competitive work environment. The TSE in instructional strategy and student engagement partially mediated the relationship between TL in promoting professional learning and TW; and TSE in student engagement fully mediated the relationship between TL in encouraging collegial collaboration and TW.This study deliberated on the research findings in relation to the worldwide extant literature. And a new model of TL and TW was presented, which can be applicable in the Chinese middle school educational context. Drawing upon the JD-R theory, the model effectively demonstrated three pathways from TL to TW.Finally, based on the current findings, some implications for theory, methodology, practice, and educational policy were presented, alongside the limitations of this study. Also, the direction for further research were duly noted

LG51.H43 Dr 2023eb Fuq

https://educoll.lib.eduhk.hk/records/dApCdvg6