The relationship between school principals' instructional leadership and teacher motivation: the mediating role of the learning organization

This study aims to reveal the mediating role of learning organization in the effect of principals' instructional leadership competencies on teacher motivation. A cross-sectional correlational survey design was used to determine the relationships among the variables. The study group consisted of 403 teachers working in state schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Istanbul, Turkey. The Personal Information Form, Instructional Leadership Scale, Teacher Motivation Scale, and Learning Organization Scale were used to collect data. It was checked whether the data obtained during the data collection process showed normal distribution, and the results of the Pearson correlation analysis between the variables were evaluated. In order to test the theoretical model developed by the researchers, Structural Equation Modeling analyses were conducted. Considering the purpose of the study and the analyses, it was observed that there was a significant positive relationship between principals' instructional leadership competencies and teacher motivation and learning organization, and a significant positive relationship between learning organization and teacher motivation. The structural equation model developed based on the results that instructional leadership has an effect on learning organization and teacher motivation, and that learning organization has an effect on teacher motivation, was tested. As a result of this test, it was determined that learning organization had a full mediating role in the effect of instructional leadership on teacher motivation. In conclusion, the theoretical model developed by the researchers was tested and accepted based on the fit values. Structural equation model results indicated an acceptable model fit and supported the hypothesized mediation pattern, in which learning organization fully mediated the instructional leadership-teacher motivation relationship. These findings suggest that school administrators can increase teacher motivation by strengthening instructional leadership behaviors as well as the school's learning organization practices.