Perspectives of Rwandan primary school principals and teachers on the role of school leadership in promoting teacher well-being

This qualitative case study explored how Rwandan primary school principals promote teacher well-being, drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model. Data were collected from six schools using semi-structured interviews with principals, focus group discussions with teachers, and document analysis. The findings revealed that teacher well-being is conceptualized as emotional, professional, and social balance within the school context. Principals support well-being through recognition, relational trust, and participatory leadership, yet face challenges such as institutional constraints, cultural expectations, and resource limitations. Triangulation of data, theory, and participants strengthened the credibility of the findings. The study situates teacher well-being within Rwanda’s post-conflict educational context, where rapid reforms and limited resources have heightened stress, and shows how leadership practices can buffer these challenges. By explicitly linking SDT and JD-R, the study demonstrates how autonomy-supportive and resource-providing leadership behaviors can protect against burnout. The study underscores the crucial role of participatory leadership and context-sensitive support structures in sustaining teacher motivation and retention. It further contributes originality by challenging Western assumptions of well-being as an individual responsibility, instead highlighting the collective, relational, and resource-dependent dimensions of well-being in Rwanda. The study calls for national policies and leadership training programs to integrate teacher well-being as a core priority.