SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Research in Educational Administration and Leadership / 2026 / Volume: 11 Issue: 3

Enhancing Teacher Involvement in School Improvement Through Learning-Centered Leadership: Unveiling a Parallel Multiple Mediation Model

Sedat Alev(GAZİANTEP ÜNİVERSİTESİ, NİZİP EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0003-4506-4756
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-09-27
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

It was concluded that teacher collaboration and keeping up-to-date partially mediated the relationship between learning-centered leadership and teachers’ involvement in school improvement.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study aimed to investigate the impact of learning-centered leadership on teachers’ involvement in school improvement through a parallel multiple mediation model, incorporating the factors of teacher collaboration and keeping up-to-date.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Employing a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 453 teachers in Türkiye.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:It was concluded that teacher collaboration and keeping up-to-date partially mediated the relationship between learning-centered leadership and teachers’ involvement in school improvement.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:learning-centered leadership · school improvement · teacher collaboration

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of learning-centered leadership on teachers’ involvement in school improvement through a parallel multiple mediation model, incorporating the factors of teacher collaboration and keeping up-to-date. Employing a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 453 teachers in Türkiye. The analysis utilised structural equation modelling alongside bootstrapping techniques. It was concluded that teacher collaboration and keeping up-to-date partially mediated the relationship between learning-centered leadership and teachers’ involvement in school improvement. Specifically, greater adoption of learning-centered leadership directly enhanced teachers’ involvement in school improvement, fostering increased collaboration among teachers and promoting up-to-date practices. The results substantiate the pivotal role of learning-centered leadership in promoting teachers’ involvement in school improvement activities while underscoring the critical importance of collaborative practices and continuous professional development within this dynamic.

🔖

Cite This Article

Alev, S. (2026). Enhancing Teacher Involvement in School Improvement Through Learning-Centered Leadership: Unveiling a Parallel Multiple Mediation Model. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, Volume: 11 Issue: 3. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1828026

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (81)

  1. Alanoglu, M. (2025). Creating learning schools through learning-centered leadership: Understanding the mediating role of teacher performance. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 53(4), 887–906. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231188641
  2. Alfayez, A. A., Noman, M., Saeed Alqahtani, A., Ibrahim Altuwaijri, A., & Kaur, A. (2021). Principal’s learning-centred leadership practices and teacher’s wellbeing: A self-determination theory perspective. Educational Studies, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2021.1960150
  3. Baruch, Y., & Holtom, B. C. (2008). Survey response rate levels and trends in organizational research. Human Relations, 61(8), 1139–1160. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726708094863
  4. Beaton, D. E., Bombardier, C., Guillemin, F., & Ferraz, M. B. (2000). Guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. Spine, 25(24), 3186–3191. https://doi.org/10.1097/00007632-200012150-00014
  5. Bellibaş, M. Ş., & Gümüş, S. (2023). The effect of learning-centred leadership and teacher trust on teacher professional learning: Evidence from a centralised education system. Professional Development in Education, 49(5), 925–937. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2021.1879234
  6. Bellibaş, M. Ş., Gümüş, S., & Kılınç, A. Ç. (2020). Principals supporting teacher leadership: The effects of learning-centred leadership on teacher leadership practices with the mediating role of teacher agency. European Journal of Education 55(2), 200–216. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12387
  7. Bellibaş, M. Ş., & Kılınç, A. Ç. (2022). Sürdürülebilir okul gelişimi ve liderlik [Sustainable school improvement and leadership]. In K. Özcan (Ed.), Sürdürülebilir kalkınma ve eğitim [Sustainable development and education]. (pp. 235¬–261). Anı Yayıncılık.
  8. Blase, J., & Blase, J. (2000). Effective instructional leadership: Teachers’ perspectives on how principals promote teaching and learning in schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 38(2), 130–141. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230010320082 Bryk, A. S. (2010). Organizational features of schools that interact to advance student achievement. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(7), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171009100705
  9. Carillo, C. S., & Janer, S. S. (2022). Involvement of teachers in school programs. United International Journal for Research & Technology, 4(2), 90-102.
  10. Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum.
  11. Cravens, X. C. (2008). The cross-cultural fit of the learning-centred leadership framework and assessment for Chinese principals [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Vanderbilt University.
  12. Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education: How America’s commitment to equity will determine our future. Teachers College Press.
  13. Darling-Hammond, N., & Richardson, N. (2009). Research review / teacher learning: What matters? Educational Leadership, 66(5), 46–53.
  14. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Self-determination theory. Handbook of theories of social psychology, 1(20), 416–436.
  15. de Jong, L., Meirink, J., & Admiraal, W. (2019). School-based teacher collaboration: Different learning opportunities across various contexts. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, 102925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102925
  16. Duyar, I., Gumus, S., & Bellibas, M. S. (2013). Multilevel analysis of teacher work attitudes: The influence of principal leadership and teacher collaboration. International Journal of Educational Management, 27(7), 700–719. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-09-2012-0107
  17. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39¬–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
  18. Geijsel, F. P., Sleegers, P. J. C., Stoel, R. D., & Krüger, M. L. (2009). The effect of teacher psychological, school organizational and leadership factors on teachers’ professional learning in Dutch schools. The Elementary School Journal 109(4), 406–427. https://doi.org/10.1086/593940
  19. Goddard, R., Goddard, Y., Sook Kim, E., & Miller, R. (2015). A theoretical and empirical analysis of the roles of instructional leadership, teacher collaboration, and collective efficacy beliefs in support of student learning. American Journal of Education, 121(4), 501–530. https://doi.org/10.1086/681925
  20. Goldring, E., Porter, A., Murphy, J., Elliott, S. N., & Cravens, X. (2009). Assessing learning-centered leadership: Connections to research, professional standards, and current practices. Leadership And Policy in Schools, 8(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700760802014951
  21. Gumus, S., Bulut, O., & Bellibas, M. S. (2013). The relationship between principal leadership and teacher collaboration in Turkish primary schools: A multilevel analysis. Education Research and Perspectives, 40, 1–29. https://www.erpjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Teach-Collab-inTurkey-Gumus.pdf
  22. Gümüş, S., Apaydın, Ç., & Bellibaş, M. (2018). Adaptation of teacher professional learning scale to Turkish: The validity and reliability study. Journal of Education and Humanities, 9(17), 108-124.
  23. Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013). Partial least squares structural equation modeling: Rigorous applications, better results and higher acceptance. Long Range Planning: International Journal of Strategic Management, 46(1–2),1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2013.01.001
  24. Hallinger, P. (2011). A review of three decades of doctoral studies using the principal instructional management rating scale: A lens on methodological progress in educational leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(2), 271–306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X10383412
  25. Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (2010). Leadership for learning: Does collaborative leadership make a difference in school improvement? Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(6), 654-678. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143210379060
  26. Hallinger, P., Liu, S., & Piyaman, P. (2019). Does principal leadership make a difference in teacher professional learning? A comparative study China and Thailand. Compare, 49(3), 341–357. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2017.1407237
  27. Hallinger, P., Piyaman, P., & Viseshsiri, P. (2017). Assessing the effects of learning-centered leadership on teacher professional learning in Thailand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 464–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.07.008
  28. Ham, S. H., Duyar, I., & Gümüş, S. (2015). Agreement of self-other perceptions matters: Analyzing the effectiveness of principal leadership through multi-source assessment. Australian Journal of Education, 59, 225–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004944115603373
  29. Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2015). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. Teachers College Press.
  30. Harris, A., & Muijs, B. (2005). Improving schools through teacher leadership. Maidenhead, UK: Open University. Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Press.
  31. Heck, R. H., & Hallinger, P. (2014). Modeling the longitudinal effects of school leadership on teaching and learning. Journal of Educational Administration, 52(5), 653–681. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-08-2013-0097
  32. Hopkins, D., & Reynolds, D. (2001). The past, present and future of school improvement: Towards the third age. British Educational Research Journal, 27(4), 459¬–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920120071461
  33. Hökkä, P. (2012). Teacher educators amid conflicting demands. Tensions between individual and organizational development [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Jyväskylä.
  34. Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modelling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
  35. in de Wal, J. J., den Brok, P. J., Hooijer, J. G., Martens, R. L., & van den Beemt, A. (2014). Teachers’ engagement in professional learning: Exploring motivational profiles. Learning and Individual Differences, 36, 27–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2014.08.001
  36. Kennedy, M. (2016). Parsing the practice of teaching. Journal of Teacher Education 67(1), 6–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487115614617
  37. Khasawneh, Y. J. A., Alsarayreh, R., Al Ajlouni, A. A., Eyadat, H. M., Ayasrah, M. N., & Khasawneh, M. A. S. (2023). An examination of teacher collaboration in professional learning communities and collaborative teaching practices. Journal of Education and e-Learning Research, 10(3), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.20448/jeelr.v10i3.4841
  38. Klar, H. W., Huggins, K. S., Hammonds, H. L., & Buskey, F. C. (2016). Fostering the capacity for distributed leadership: A post-heroic approach to leading school improvement. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 19(2), 111¬–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2015.1005028
  39. Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford.
  40. Kılınç, A. Ç., Bellibaş, M. Ş., & Gümüş, S. (2017). Adaptation of learning-centered leadership scale: A validity and reliability study. Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education, 18(3), 132-144. https://doi.org/10.17679/inuefd.315124
  41. Kilinc, A. C., Bellibas, M. S., & Polatcan, M. (2022). Learning-centred leadership and change in teacher practice in Turkey: Exploring the mediating effects of collaboration. Educational Studies, 48(6), 790-808. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1828833
  42. Kim, H. Y. (2013). Statistical notes for clinical researchers: Assessing normal distribution (2) using skewness and kurtosis. Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics, 38(1), 52–54. https://doi.org/10.5395/rde.2013.38.1.52
  43. Kock, N., & Hadaya, P. (2018). Minimum sample size estimation in PLS‐SEM: The inverse square root and gamma exponential methods. Information Systems Journal, 28(1), 227–261. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12131 Kwakman, K. (2003). Factors affecting teachers’ participation in professional learning activities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19(2), 149–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(02)00101-4
  44. Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2008). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership. School Leadership and Management, 28(1), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430701800060
  45. Leithwood, K. A., & Jantzi, D. (2008). Linking leadership to student learning: The contributions of leader efficacy. Educational Administration Quarterly 44(4), 496–528. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X08321501
  46. Li, L., Hallinger, P., Kennedy, K. J., & Walker, A. (2017). Mediating effects of trust, communication, and collaboration on teacher professional learning in Hong Kong primary schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 20(6), 697–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2016.1139188
  47. Lin, Y. J. (2014). Teacher involvement in school decision making. Journal of Studies in Education, 4(3), 50¬–58. https://doi.org/10.5296/jse.v4i3.6179
  48. Liu, S., & Hallinger, P. (2018). Principal instructional leadership, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher professional learning in China: Testing a mediated-effects model. Educational Administration Quarterly, 54(4), 501–528. https://doi.org/10. 1177/0013161X18769048
  49. Liu, S., Hallinger, P., & Feng, D. (2016a). Learning-centered leadership and teacher learning in China: Does trust matter?. Journal of Educational Administration, 54(6), 661–682. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-02-2016-0015
  50. Liu, S., Hallinger, P., & Feng, D. (2016b). Supporting the professional learning of teachers in China: Does principal leadership make a difference?. Teaching and Teacher Education, 59, 79–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.023
  51. Liu, Y., & Werblow, J. (2019). The operation of distributed leadership and the relationship with organizational commitment and job satisfaction of principals and teachers: A multi-level model and meta-analysis using the 2013 TALIS data. International Journal of Educational Research, 96, 41-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.05.005
  52. Meyer, A., Hartung-Beck, V., Gronostaj, A., Krüger, S., & Richter, D. (2023). How can principal leadership practices promote teacher collaboration and organizational change? A longitudinal multiple case study of three school improvement initiatives. Journal of Educational Change, 24(3), 425-455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09451-9
  53. MoNE. (2013). MoNE regulation on secondary education institutions. Available at: https://ogm.meb.gov.tr/meb_iys_dosyalar/2016_11/03111224_ooky.pdf (accessed 08 August 2025).
  54. MoNE. (2025). Eğitimde yapay zekâ politika belgesi ve eylem planı (2025–2029) [Artificial intelligence in education policy document and action plan]. Yenilik ve Eğitim Teknolojileri Genel Müdürlüğü. https://yegitek.meb.gov.tr/meb_iys_dosyalar/2025_06/17092340_egitimdeyapayzekapolitikabelgesiveeylemplani202520291.pdf
  55. Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2006). Teacher led school improvement: Teacher leadership in the UK. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22(8), 961¬–972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.04.010
  56. Murphy, J., Elliot, S. N., Goldring, E., & Porter, A. C. (2006). Learning-centered leadership: A conceptual foundation. Wallace Foundation.
  57. Ng, A. Y. M. (2022). Teacher leadership in teacher development for school improvement and student achievement. In M. S. Khine & Y. Liu (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 901–919). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9785-2_46
  58. OECD. (2019). Education policy outlook 2019: Working together to help students achieve their potential. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/2b8ad56e-en
  59. OECD [The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development]. (2020). PISA 2018 results: Effective policies, successful schools (Volume V). OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/content/publication/ca768d40-en
  60. Özdemir, N., Gün, F., & Yirmibeş, A. (2021). Learning–centred leadership and student achievement: understanding the mediating effect of the teacher professional community and parental involvement. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 51(6), 1301–1321. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211034167
  61. Özdemir, N., Kılınç, A. Ç., Polatcan, M., Turan, S., & Bellibaş, M. Ş. (2023). Exploring teachers’ instructional practice profiles: Do distributed leadership and teacher collaboration make a difference?. Educational Administration Quarterly, 0013161X231159092. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X231159092
  62. Pietsch, M., Tulowitzki, P., & Koch, T. (2019). On the differential and shared effects of leadership for learning on teachers' organizational commitment and job satisfaction: A multilevel perspective. Educational Administration Quarterly, 55(5), 705–741. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X18806346
  63. Piyaman, P., Hallinger, P., & Viseshsiri, P. (2017). Addressing the achievement gap: Exploring principal leadership and teacher professional learning in urban and rural primary schools in Thailand. Journal of Educational Administration, 55(6), 717–734. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-12-2016-0142
  64. Priestley, M., Biesta, G. J. J., & Robinson, S. (2015). Teacher agency: What is it and why does it matter? In R. Kneyber & J. Evers (Eds.), Flip the system: Changing education from the bottom up. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315678573-15
  65. Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
  66. Polatcan, M. (2020). The adaptation of professional learning activities scale to Turkish: The validity and reliability study. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 7(2), 281–290. https://doi.org/10.33200/ijcer.808721
  67. Polatcan, M., Özdemir, N., Kılınç, A. Ç., Zepeda, S. J., & Çevik, S. (2023). Leading teacher instructional practices in Türkiye: Do inner school conditions matter?. Journal of Educational Administration, 61(4), 341–361. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-07-2022-0099
  68. Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879–891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879
  69. Recepoğlu, E., & Kılınç, A. Ç. (2014). Raising and selecting school administrators in Turkey, present problems and solutions. Turkish Studies, 9(2), 1817–1845. https://doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.6136
  70. Rechsteiner, B., Compagnoni, M., Wullschleger, A., Schäfer, L. M., Rickenbacher, A., & Merki, K. M. (2022). Teachers involved in school improvement: Analyzing mediating mechanisms of teachers’ boundary-crossing activities between leadership perception and teacher involvement. Teaching and Teacher Education, 116, 103774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103774
  71. Ross, J. A., & Gray, P. (2006). Transformational leadership and teacher commitment to organizational values: The mediating effects of collective teacher efficacy. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 17(2), 179–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450600565795
  72. Sariakin, S., Yeni, M., Usman, M. B., Mare, A. S., Munzir, M., & Saleh, M. (2025). Fostering a productive educational environment: The roles of leadership, management practices, and teacher motivation. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1499064. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1499064
  73. Sleegers, P. J., Thoonen, E. E., Oort, F. J., & Peetsma, T. T. (2014). Changing classroom practices: The role of school-wide capacity for sustainable improvement. Journal of Educational Administration, 52(5), 617–652. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-11-2013-0126
  74. Somech, A. (2010). Participative decision making in schools: A mediatingmoderating analytical framework for understanding school and teacher outcomes. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46(2), 174e209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670510361745
  75. Şahin, İ., Kesik, F., & Beycioğlu, K. (2017). Okul yöneticilerinin atanmasında kaotik dönem ve etkileri [Chaotic process in the assignment of school administrators and its effects]. Elementary Education Online, 16(3), 1007–1021. https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2017.330238
  76. Thien, L. M., & Yeap, S. B. (2025). Configuring effects of learning-centred leadership in promoting teacher professional learning and teacher self-efficacy. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 53(6), 1549–1576.
  77. Thien, L. M., Uthai, M., & Yeap, S. B. (2022). Does middle leaders’ learning-centred leadership matter in promoting teacher professional learning? A partial least squares analysis. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(4), 854–877. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221115522
  78. Turan, C., Demirtaş, Z. & Alanoğlu, M. (2024). The adaptation and psychometric analysis of the Global Transformational Leadership (GTL) Scale for Turkish educational institutions. Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 9(4), 620–659. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1518967
  79. Wenner, J. A., & Campbell, T. (2017). The theoretical and empirical basis of teacher leadership: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 87(1), 134–171. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316653478
  80. Wullschleger, A., Vörös, A., Rechsteiner, B., Rickenbacher, A., & Merki, K. M. (2023). Improving teaching, teamwork, and school organization: Collaboration networks in school teams. Teaching and Teacher Education, 121, 103909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103909
  81. Yıldırım, Y., & Çalışkan, A. (2025). Millî Eğitim Akademisine yönelik tutum ölçeğinin geliştirilmesi [Development of attitude scale towards National Education Academy]. Primary Education, 7(29), 57–73. https://doi.org/10.52105/temelegitim.1738026