This study examines teacher motivation within a gendered leadership practices framework in public secondary schools in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 70 teachers through structured questionnaires, followed by qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews with 14 principals. The findings indicate statistically significant gender differences across motivational dimensions. Female teachers report a higher likelihood of endorsing relational and intrinsic motivators, including recognition, respect, and supportive leadership practices, whereas male teachers place a greater emphasis on extrinsic factors such as financial rewards and career progression. Qualitative findings further contextualize these differences, highlighting variation in leadership practices between male and female principals. Female principals tend to adopt more relational and supportive approaches, whereas male principals emphasize structured and performance-oriented practices. The study contributes to the literature by situating established motivational theories within a gendered and culturally specific context. It recommends adopting balanced, context-sensitive leadership practices that align with diverse teachers' motivational needs to enhance teacher engagement and institutional effectiveness.
The number of private K-12 English-medium 'international schools' continue to grow in scale and diversity, especially in Asia. The accredited non-commercial 'traditional' type, governed by a Board of Trustees, has largely escaped research attention as a 'complex human whole-system' despite the acceptance that relationships within the school can be problematic and challenging. We identify at least 25 human sub-systems within the typical school. This article focuses attention on one important sub-system within the 'parent system', involving the complicated relationship between the Head and the Board, especially the Chair (often an elected parent). Numerous studies have highlighted this relationship as being especially problematic, leading to a high turnover of Heads. Using data collected from 50 schools we show that the average tenure of Heads at their current school is relatively low, at 6.8 years, whilst the mean of Chairs is much lower, at 4.2 years. The Heads have seen an average of three Chairs during their time at the current school. Board composition averages 14 members, although structures differ enormously, whilst turnover is reportedly rising as is the Head's time spent on Board matters. A picture emerges of a complex relationship involving evolving and loosely linked sets of actors.
Teacher work engagement has gained increasing attention in educational management and leadership research due to its critical role in teacher well-being and school effectiveness. This study aimed to examine a hypothesised model explaining the relationship between social justice leadership and work engagement, with a particular focus on the mediating role of teachers' voice behaviour and the moderating role of trust in leader. Data were collected from teachers working in public schools in T & uuml;rkiye's highly centralised education system. The results supported a moderated mediation model, indicating that social justice leadership is positively associated with teacher work engagement both directly and indirectly through teacher voice behaviour. Furthermore, the indirect effect of social justice leadership on teacher work engagement via teacher voice behaviour was stronger at higher levels of trust in leader. These findings highlight the importance of justice-oriented leadership practices in fostering teacher engagement by promoting voice behaviour within trust-based school environments. The study provides theoretical and practical insights into how social justice leadership contributes to teacher engagement, particularly in centralised and high-power distance educational contexts.
Despite recognition that the complexity of school leadership necessitates enhanced support and professional learning for both newly appointed and existing principals, the lived experiences of principals remain under-researched. This phenomenological study of primary school principals in Ireland offers a nuanced account of contextual challenges and conceptualises leadership as a relational, human-centred endeavour, moving beyond traditional leader-centric and policy-driven perspectives. Investigating the impact of relational leadership on the leader, this article considers how principals navigate tensions and opportunities through the relational aspects of both authentic leadership (AL) and transformational leadership theory (TLT). The findings reveal unexpected insights into how principals respond to pressure from the external expectations of the Department of Education and Youth's policy agenda and the internalised consequences. Principals were found to internally negotiate the tensions and opportunities for authenticity in relation to themselves and others by finding safe spaces that facilitate self-care and collective support. The findings build upon and contest aspects of TLT's four ‘I’s to include a fifth ‘I’, a principal's ‘internalised leadership’, as they conceal and isolate themselves and embody personal feelings while simultaneously endeavouring to be authentic, highlighting the emotional and psychological impacts of the principal's role.
The theoretical and practical underpinnings of the concept of pedagogical leadership remain ambiguous. The present study sought to elucidate the notion of pedagogical leadership by investigating students’ perceptions prior to their engagement with a module on educational leadership studies at three Finnish universities. The participants (N = 148) comprised students from education programmes for teachers in basic education and early childhood education, as well as in-service training. Utilising a discursive approach, the present study analysed the articulations that participants gave to pedagogical leadership. The findings of the present study demonstrated that students specialising in basic education concentrated on teaching and learning in their articulation, whilst those enrolled in the early childhood education programme adopted a more expansive perspective on pedagogical leadership. This study contributes to the discussion around conceptual clarity and its relation to the contextual aspects affecting the perception of the concept.
