Understanding Teacher Quiet Quitting: How Workload, Engagement and Stress Shape the Influence of Transformational Leadership

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship between transformational leadership and teachers' quiet quitting, specifically through its indirect effects mediated by workload, stress and engagement. Data were collected from 713 teachers in Türkiye. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypothesised relationships and mediation mechanisms. The findings revealed that higher perceived workload was associated with increased stress and quiet quitting, while being negatively linked to teacher engagement. Transformational leadership was associated with lower workload and stress, and greater professional engagement. Transformational leadership was indirectly associated with quiet quitting through sequential pathways involving workload, stress and engagement. Among these, the workload‐stress pathway played a stronger mediating role compared to the workload‐engagement pathway. These results revealed the mediating role of workload in shaping how transformational leadership influences quiet quitting intentions.