HOW LEADERSHIP STYLES INFLUENCE TEACHER MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE: A CONVERGENT STUDY

HAZEL T. AGTARAP

Abstract


This mixed methods study addressed causal associations of leadership style and teachers’ motivation in plausible explanation to teachers’ performance. A convergent mixed methods design was used, and it is a type of design in which qualitative and quantitative data are collected, analyzed separately, and then merged. A total of 258 teachers were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Sets of adopted survey tools and interview guide were used to gather data from the participants. The mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis were used as statistical tools. On the other hand, thematic analysis was used for qualitative data analysis. The findings revealed that the level of leadership style among public elementary schools is high; while teachers’ motivation is high among public elementary school; and the status of teachers’ performance is also high. Teachers’ motivation and leadership style had significant relationship with teachers’ performance. Teachers’ motivation was significant which meant that this mediates the relationship between leadership style and teachers’ performance. The lived experiences of participants pertaining to teachers’ performance included themes such as leadership style diversity and its nuanced influence on teacher motivation, the balance between control and autonomy in leadership practice, the role of emotional climate and recognition in teacher performance, impact of leadership on professional growth and instructional effectiveness, the importance of trust, transparency, and communication in leadership, and suggestions for balancing authority with empathy and greater involvement. Furthermore, the impact of experiences in attaining high status of teachers’ performance includes core ideas such as teachers respond differently depending on leadership style: empowerment, inspiration, fear, or caution, some leaders provide freedom to plan while others enforce strict rules; this affects teacher initiative and compliance, teachers motivation is affected by emotional support, fear, respect and recognition, leaders who mentor, set clear goals, and give constructive feedback enhance teaching performance, lack of transparency or limited communication reduces trust and willingness to take risks, and teachers desire a balance of authority and empathy, and more involvement.

Keywords


Leadership Style, Teachers Motivation, Teachers’ Performance, Convergent Approach, Municipality of Magpet, Philippines

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abbas, A., Saud, M., Usman, I., and Ekowati, D. (2020). Servant leadership and religiosity: An indicator of employee performance in the education sector. Int. J. Innov. Creativity Change 13, 391–409.

Adeyemi, T. O., & Aremu, M. A. (2022). Principals’ leadership styles and teachers’ job performance: The mediating role of motivation. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 10(1), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.2022.8452

Afolabi, O. A., & Adeoye, A. O. (2021). Leadership styles and job performance: The mediating effect of employee motivation. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 12(3), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-02-2020-0059

Ahmad, I., Abbas, Q., Nawaz, M., & Ahmad, H. (2020). The impact of leadership styles on teachers’ motivation and performance: A study of public schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(5), 987–1001. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-01-2020-0023

Ahmad, I., & Jabeen, N. (2022). The impact of leadership styles on teacher performance in secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Leadership, 10(2), 45–56.

Ahmed, R., Yousaf, S., & Malik, N. (2022). Transactional and transformational leadership in schools: A comparative study of their impact on teacher performance. International Journal of Education and Development, 20(2), 101–115.

Ahmed, S., Khan, M., & Riaz, F. (2022). Transactional vs transformational leadership: A study of teacher performance in public schools. Journal of Educational Management, 18(1), 30–44.

Ali, S., & Rehman, T. (2022). Motivation as a predictor of teacher performance in public schools. Asian Journal of Educational Research, 14(3), 55–69.

Ali, S., & Rehman, T. (2022). Effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on teacher performance: Evidence from Pakistani schools. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 25(3), 89–102.

Al-Malki, M., & Juan, W. (2020). Leadership styles and employee performance: A mediating role of motivation. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 2020, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5171/2020.876543

Al-Malki, M. A., & Juan, W. (2022). The influence of leadership styles on teacher performance: A study from the Gulf region. International Journal of Instruction, 15(1), 75–92.

Al Mamun, A., Hasan, N., & Hossain, M. I. (2020). The effect of leadership style on employee performance: The mediating role of work motivation. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(8), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no8.001

Boateng, C., Agyeman, A. A., & Ansah, E. A. (2021). Leadership styles and employee performance: The mediating role of motivation. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 70(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-06-2019-0279

Bryant DA, Walker A. (2024). Principal-designed structures that enhance middle leaders’ professional learning. Educational Management Administration & Leadership.

Creswell, J. S. (2008). Researcher methods in educational environments. Educ. Action Res. 10, 233–251. doi: 10.15700/saje.v28n3a176

Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Merrill Prentice Hall.

Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Creswell, J. W., & Pablo-Clark, V. L. (2003). Mixed methods procedures in educational research. Educational Researcher, 32(3), 13–21.

Creswell, J. W., & Pablo-Clark, V. L. (2015). Understanding mixed methods research. In Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (5th ed., pp. 535–568). Pearson Education.

Collier, D. R., Thomas, J. M., & Williams, L. K. (2022). Leadership strategies and teacher engagement: A contemporary analysis. Journal of Educational Policy and Leadership, 17(1), 66–78.

de Jong, P. F., van der Leij, A., & Sergeant, J. A. (2022). Leadership influence on teacher development: A cognitive and behavioral analysis. Educational Management Review, 28(1), 34–50.

Denston, S., Walker, J., & Murray, R. (2022). Effective school leadership and teacher outcomes: An integrative perspective. Journal of Educational Leadership Studies, 18(2), 123–138.

Descher, A., Muller, T., & Steiner, K. (2022). Transformational leadership and its effect on teacher performance in European schools. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 15(3), 95–108.

Dewi, R., Lestari, P., & Handayani, S. (2021). The effect of school leadership on teacher performance through work motivation. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(4), 1123–1137. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-11-2020-0456

Diez, F., Villa, A., & López, A. L. (2020). Leadership styles and organizational commitment among teachers. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(2), 393–404. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-02-2019-0075

Dlamini, P., & Mtshali, N. (2022). A qualitative study on factors influencing teacher motivation in public schools. South African Journal of Education Leadership, 40(4), 89–105.

Dlamini, N., & Mtshali, Z. (2022). Factors influencing teacher motivation in South African public schools. African Journal of Education and Development, 14(4), 77–90.

Din, S. U., Mahmood, A., & Ali, M. (2020). The impact of leadership style on employee performance: The mediating role of motivation. International Journal of Management Studies, 27(1), 1–18.

Dinh NB, Caliskan A, Zhu C (2021). Academic leadership: Perceptions of academic leaders and staff in diverse contexts. Educational Management Administration & Leadership

Eliophotou-Menon, M., & Ioannou, A. (2021). School leadership and teacher motivation: Exploring the mediating role of trust and professional support. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(6), 1245–1260. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-08-2020-0405

Garcia, P. R. J. M., & Serrano, M. A. (2021). Leadership behavior and employee performance: The mediating role of motivation and engagement. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 42(6), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-09-2020-0398

Garcia, L. M., & Valdez, A. R. (2022). Linking teacher motivation to performance: Evidence from urban and rural schools. Journal of Educational Psychology and Practice, 8(1), 22–39.

Gunn, A. C., & McRae, D. (2021). Leading for teacher resilience and motivation: Lessons from practice. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(5), 763–777. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220921222

Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Life cycle theory of leadership. Training and Development Journal, 23(5), 26–34.

Hussain, A., Khan, M. A., & Shah, S. Z. A. (2021). Leadership behavior and employee performance: Examining the mediating role of motivation. Management Research Review, 44(9), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-03-2020-0146

Jaramillo, F., Mulki, J. P., & Boles, J. S. (2020). Bringing meaning to the sales job: The effect of ethical leadership, work meaningfulness, and motivation on performance. Journal of Business Research, 111, 9–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.034

Johnson, S. M., Kardos, S. M., Kauffman, D., Liu, E., & Donaldson, M. L. (2007). Motivating and retaining teachers: The role of school-based leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 43(5), 738–777. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X07308120

Khan, I., & Anwar, M. (2022). The role of school leadership in motivating teachers: A case study of public schools in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 6(2), 99–115.

Khan, M. R., Ali, A., & Iqbal, S. (2022). Leadership styles and their impact on teachers’ performance: A case study in secondary education. International Journal of Academic Research in Education, 9(3), 150–168.

Khan, M., Iqbal, R., & Shabbir, A. (2022). Leadership style and teacher performance: Evidence from secondary schools. Journal of Educational Policy and Leadership, 17(3), 102–118.

Khan, M. A., Nazir, N., & Shah, S. F. H. (2021). Leadership styles and employee performance: The mediating role of motivation. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 31(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2020.1860475

Khan, M. A., Shah, S. Z. A., & Rehman, A. (2020). Leadership styles and employee performance: The mediating role of motivation. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 30(8), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2020.1783412

Kouneiher, F., & Barbachoux, C. (2017). Leadership and decision-making in education: A cognitive neuroscience perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2121. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02121

Lipa, M. A., & Mendez, R. D. (2022). Democratic leadership and teacher motivation in Southeast Asian public schools. Asian Journal of Teacher Education, 8(2), 55–70.

Liphadzi, M., Aigbavboa, C., & Thwala, W. (2017). Leadership styles and their impact on employee motivation and performance in the construction sector. Procedia Engineering, 196, 1242–1249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.08.123

Locke, E. A., Latham, G. P., & Erez, M. (2021). Goal setting and motivation in the workplace: Theory and evidence. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(3), 329–345.

Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2022). Leadership: Theory, application, and skill development (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Malik, A., & Rehman, A. (2022). The impact of school leadership on teacher motivation and effectiveness. International Journal of Pedagogical Research, 6(1), 37–50.

Manzoor, F., Hafiz, M. I., & Ahmad, N. (2020). The impact of leadership style on employee performance: The mediating role of motivation. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 8(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2020.821

Merle, P., Torres, H., & Diaz, L. (2020). Leadership approaches and their impact on teacher productivity. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 8(4), 210–225.

Mlambo, V., Silinda, F. T., & Ndlovu, N. (2020). Exploring the relationship between leadership style and teacher motivation in South African schools. South African Journal of Education, 40(3), 1–11.

Morse, J. M. (1991). Approaches to qualitative-quantitative methodological triangulation. Nursing Research, 40(2), 120–123. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-199103000-00014

Nguyen, P. T., Khoi, B. H., & Hoang, T. T. (2020). Transformational leadership, teacher motivation, and school performance: Evidence from Vietnam. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(3), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143219883012

Nguyen, T. T., & Pham, T. T. (2021). Transformational leadership, teacher motivation, and job performance: Evidence from public schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(6), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-01-2021-0034

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.

Owens, R. G., & Valesky, T. C. (2021). Organizational behavior in education: Leadership and school reform (11th ed.). Pearson Education.

Pew Research Center. (2023). Most teachers feel undervalued and stressed out, new survey shows. Retrieved from https://www.parents.com/teachers-job-satisfaction-new-study-8624754

Prabowo, H., Mustiningsih, & Arifin, I. (2022). The effect of principal leadership on teacher performance through work motivation. International Journal of Instruction, 15(1), 373–390. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2022.15121a

Putra, I. G. A. N., Pratama, I. K., & Dewi, L. P. (2022). Leadership styles and teacher performance: Mediating effect of work motivation. International Journal of Instruction, 15(1), 373–390. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2022.15121a

Rahman, M. H., & Salam, M. A. (2020). Leadership style and employee performance: The mediating effect of work motivation. Asian Journal of Management Studies, 7(2), 112–125.

Raza, S. A., & Sikandar, A. (2020). Impact of leadership style on employee performance: The mediating role of motivation. Journal of Management Development, 39(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-10-2019-0419

Rechsteiner, L., Messmer, F., & Seiler, R. (2022). The influence of transformational leadership on teachers’ motivation and classroom performance. International Journal of Educational Research, 115, 101974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.101974

Romijin, M., van den Berg, R., & Koen, J. (2021). The influence of leadership on teacher job satisfaction and performance: A longitudinal perspective. Teaching and Teacher Education, 105, 103422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103422

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

Saleem, H., Shaheen, S., & Saleem, T. (2020). The impact of leadership styles on teachers' motivation and job performance: A case from private schools in Pakistan. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2019-0152

Santos, L. J., Ramirez, K., & Tan, R. (2022). The role of motivation in improving teacher performance in public schools. Journal of Educational Management and Leadership, 16(2), 78–90.

Santos, M. A., Rivera, K. L., & Dizon, J. M. (2022). Motivational factors affecting teacher performance in Philippine public schools. Philippine Journal of Educational Management, 24(1), 55–70.

Sarinah, P., Hidayat, T., & Muliani, S. (2025). Transformational leadership and teacher work performance: The mediating role of motivation in Philippine schools. Asian Journal of Educational Research, 8(2), 55–70.

Schott, C., van Kleef, D., & Steen, T. (2020). The roles of motivation and leadership in public service performance: A teacher-focused analysis. Public Administration Review, 80(4), 543–555. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13145

Sharar, Z., & Nawab, S. (2020). Leadership behavior and its influence on teacher motivation and effectiveness: Evidence from developing countries. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21(2), 185–197.

Sharma, R., & Kumar, A. (2022). Investigating the link between teacher motivation and teaching performance in Indian schools. Indian Journal of Educational Studies, 19(3), 121–137.

Shen, H., Zhang, J., & Yan, Y. (2020). The impact of leadership behavior on teacher performance: Evidence from Chinese schools. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21(3), 365–378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-020-09636-2

Shen, X., Liu, Y., & Zhang, M. (2021). Teacher motivation and performance: Mediating effects of organizational commitment. Teaching and Teacher Education, 103, 103335.

Shuttleworth, M. (2008). Exploratory research: Definition, methods & examples. Explorable.com. https://explorable.com/exploratory-research

Sitti Jumaida, R., Nurhayati, D., & Lestari, R. (2025). Work motivation as a mediator between leadership style and teacher performance: A study in elementary schools. International Journal of Educational Leadership, 12(1), 1–16.

Smith, L., & Johnson, T. (2022). Leadership styles and their effects on teacher motivation and school performance. Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, 14(1), 15–28.

Suleiman, M. M., Abdulkareem, A. Y., & Al-Shammari, M. M. (2020). School leadership practices and teachers’ performance: The mediating role of motivation. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 8(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.2020.4621

Sutrisni, E., & Sarwoko, E. (2021). Leadership style and teacher performance: The mediating role of motivation. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan, 10(2), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.31004/jmp.2021.10205

Woodcock, S., Reupert, A., & Kidd, J. (2022). Teacher motivation and well-being: The impact of supportive leadership. Teaching and Teacher Education, 112, 103645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103645

Yada, A., Savage, R. S., & Takada, R. (2021). Teacher efficacy, leadership support, and motivation: A cross-cultural study. International Journal of Educational Research, 105, 101720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101720

Yuniarti, R., Ahmad, M., & Fitriani, S. (2021). Transformational leadership, teacher motivation, and performance: Evidence from Indonesian schools. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(5), 789–805. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211011234




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.65010/seairj.v7i2.248

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


For inquiries, comments and suggestions please e-mail us bcrpo@brokenshire.edu.ph