How Kindergarten Principals’ Transformational Leadership Promotes Teachers’ Work Engagement and Children’s Approaches to Learning in China: a Mediating Model from a Field Theory Perspective

This study explores how kindergarten principals' transformational leadership (KPTL) shapes teachers' work engagement (TWE) and children's approaches to learning (CAL) in Chinese kindergartens. While leadership's overall influence is acknowledged, the mechanisms connecting KPTL to educational outcomes remain underexplored in China's cultural and governance context. Based on field theory, data were collected from 161 teachers and 805 parents Hubei Province, China. Descriptive, regression, and mediation analyses revealed that KPTL significantly predicts both TWE and CAL, with TWE partially mediating their relationship. These findings demonstrate a ripple effect, wherein principals' leadership cascades through teachers' engagement to enhance children's learning approaches. The study advances understanding of early childhood leadership by offering context-specific empirical evidence and illustrating how transformational leadership bridges macro-level policy intentions with micro-level classroom practices. The results provide theoretical insights and practical implications for strengthening leadership effectiveness within China's evolving educational governance system.