Exploring the relationship between learning climate in schools and agile leadership using multi-group path analysis: does “Willingness to work” have a mediating role?

Abstract The learning climate in schools is significantly influenced by relationships among teachers, students, and school administration. Despite its importance, relatively few studies have explored the relationship between learning climate and principal characteristics from teachers’ perspectives. This study aims to examine the mediating role of teachers’ willingness to work in the relationship between the learning climate in schools and agile leadership. The participants consist of 630 teachers from various educational levels, ranging from preschool to high school. Data were collected using the Agile Leadership Scale, the Learning Climate Scale, and an item assessing teachers’ willingness to work. Mediation analysis was employed to examine the impact of teachers’ willingness to work on the relationship between agile leadership and the learning climate in schools. The findings revealed that willingness to work serves as a mediator in the relationship between the learning climate in schools and agile leadership. Multi-group path analysis indicated that this mediation effect was significant among male teachers, whereas they were not observed among female teachers. The overall results demonstrate that the learning climate in schools is affected by the agile leadership of the principals, and the willingness to work of teachers partially mediated this relationship. These findings underscore the importance of agile leadership behaviors in fostering a conducive learning climate and suggest that supporting teachers’ professional and personal development can further enhance this environment.