How does digital leadership affect teachers’ life satisfaction in primary and secondary schools: The sequential mediating role of digital technology skills and work engagement

Teachers' life satisfaction is a crucial determinant of their well-being and professional efficacy. While research has established digital leadership, digital technology skills, and work engagement as pivotal to life satisfaction, the intricate dynamics through which digital leadership affects the life satisfaction of primary and secondary school teachers remain underexplored. This study aims to elucidate the pathways by which digital leadership influences the life satisfaction of primary and secondary school teachers, with a focus on the sequential mediating effects of digital technology skills and work engagement. Conducted in April 2024, the survey garnered responses from 861 teachers (M = 36.94, SD = 9.579) in Shandong and Jiangsu Provinces, ensuring anonymity. Data were analyzed utilizing structural equation modeling in AMOS 24.0 and SPSS 24.0. The results indicate that: digital leadership directly predicts teachers' life satisfaction; digital leadership influences teachers' life satisfaction through the mediating roles of digital technology skills and work engagement separately; digital technology skills and work engagement play a chain mediating role between digital leadership and teachers' life satisfaction. This study's insights advance the comprehension of the mechanisms connecting digital leadership with teachers' life satisfaction and offer actionable insights for improving the life satisfaction of educators in primary and secondary schools.