Social justice leadership and teacher care: exploring the mediating and moderating roles of deficit thinking, and openness to diversity and challenge

Purpose This study investigates the mediating and moderating role of deficit thinking and openness to diversity and challenge in the relationship between social justice leadership and teachers' caring for students. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 599 teachers working in 62 schools in Türkiye and analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling. Findings Our results showed that principals' social justice leadership had a direct relationship with teachers' perceptions of caring as well as an indirect one through teacher deficit thinking and openness to diversity and challenge. Furthermore, teacher deficit thinking and openness to diversity and challenge positively moderated the relationship between social justice leadership and teachers' caring, meaning that the relationship between social justice leadership and teachers' caring was further strengthened when teachers reported lower levels of teacher deficit thinking or higher levels of openness to diversity and challenge. Originality/value Our study offers valuable implications that highlight the pivotal role of social justice leadership in dealing with teachers' deficit thinking while supporting teachers' appreciation of diversity and their caring behaviors toward the academic, social and emotional needs of diverse students.