The Influence of Distributed Leadership on Teachers' Work Well- Being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57260/csdj.2026.279216Keywords:
Distributed leadership, Work well-being, Teacher cooperation, Self-efficacy, Higher education, University lecturersAbstract
Teacher work well-being is a critical determinant of instructional quality and institutional effectiveness in higher education, yet the mechanisms linking leadership practices to lecturers' well-being remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on Distributed Leadership Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined 1) the direct effect of distributed leadership on university lecturers' work well-being, 2) the mediating roles of teacher cooperation and self-efficacy, and 3) the chain mediating effect through these two variables. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 6,546 university lecturers selected through combined convenience and cluster sampling from higher-education institutions. Four validated instruments were administered: the distributed leadership scale, teacher work well-being scale, teacher cooperation scale, and teacher self-efficacy scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS 24.0, and bootstrap mediation testing (5,000 resamples). Distributed leadership exerted a significant positive direct effect on lecturers' work well-being (β = .984, p < .01). Both teacher cooperation (β = .493) and self-efficacy (β = .616) significantly mediated this relationship, with the indirect path through self-efficacy (61.65% of total effect) being stronger than the path through cooperation (49.16%). The chain mediation pathway distributed leadership, teacher cooperation, self-efficacy, work well-being was also supported. Findings underscore that empowering university lecturers through distributed leadership, while simultaneously fostering collaborative culture and bolstering self-efficacy, can substantially enhance their work well-being. Implications for university administration and teacher development policy are discussed.
Downloads
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Brislin, R. W. (1986). The wording and translation of research instruments. In W. J. Lonner & J. W. Berry (Eds.), Field methods in cross-cultural research (pp. 137–164). Sage.
Gao, W. (2024). A third-party perspective on teacher well-being assessment: A study of German teacher classroom observation tools based on the PERMA model. Education Guide.
Harris, A. (2004). Distributed leadership and school improvement: Leading or misleading?. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 32(1), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143204039297
Hulpia, H., Devos, G., & Rosseel, Y. (2009). Development and validation of scores on the Distributed Leadership Inventory. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 69(6), 1013–1034. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164409344490
Kaniuka, T. S. (2012). Toward an understanding of how teachers change during school reform: Considerations for educational leadership and school improvement. Journal of Educational Change, 13, 327–346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-012-9184-3
Klusmann, U., Aldrup, K., Roloff, J., Lüdtke, O., & Hamre, B. K. (2022). Does instructional quality mediate the link between teachers' emotional exhaustion and student outcomes? A large-scale study using teacher and student reports. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(6), 1442–1460. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000703
Leithwood, K., & Mascall, B. (2008). Collective leadership effects on student achievement. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(4), 529–561. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X08321221
Li, X., Liang, D., & Gao, F. (2024). The influence of growth thinking on teachers' professional growth: Mediating effect of teaching efficacy and perseverance. Teacher Education Forum. China.
Hickey, N., Flaherty, A., & McNamary, P. M. (2024). Challenges to the sustainability of Irish post-primary school leadership: The role of distributed leadership. Journal of Educational Administration, 62(3), 341–354. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-05-2023-0108
Mather, B. R., & Visone, J. D. (2024), "Peer observation to foster collective teacher efficacy: teachers' perceptions about collegial visits". Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 9(2), 85–104. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-08-2023-0057
Mifsud, d. (2024). A systematic review of school distributed leadership: Research purposes, concepts, and approaches in the field between 2010 and 2022. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 56(2), 154–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2022.2158181
Mudhar, G., Ertesvag, S. K., & Pakarinen, E. (2024). Patterns of teachers' self-efficacy and attitudes toward inclusive education associated with teacher emotional support and collegial collaboration. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 39(3), 446–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2023.2233297
Murphy, G., & Brennan, T. (2024). Enacting distributed leadership in Ireland: Assessing primary school principals' developmental needs using constructive developmental theory. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(3), 666–685. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143222108685
Ross, J. A. (1994). The impact of an in-service to promote cooperative learning on the stability of teacher efficacy. Teaching and Teacher Education, 10(4), 381–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/0742-051X(94)90020-5
Selenius, H, & Hau, H. G. (2024). A scoping review on the psychometric properties of the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 68(4), 792–802. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2023.2185811
Shi, X., Jiao, X., & Jia, X. (2005). Development of the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale. Psychological Development and Education. China.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2014). Teacher self-efficacy and perceived autonomy: Relations with teacher engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. Psychological Reports, 114(1), 68–77. https://doi.org/10.2466/14.02.PR0.114k14w0
Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed leadership. Jossey-Bass.
Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2004). Towards a theory of leadership practice: A distributed perspective. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 36(1), 3–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/0022027032000106726
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, A. W. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(7), 783–805. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(01)00036-1
Yu, H. (2024). The impact of work pressure and work resources on rural compulsory education teachers' personal teaching efficacy. Education Guide.
Wang, C., Chen, Z., & Yang, X. (2012). Construction of the Teacher Cooperation Scale and reliability/validity test. Teacher Education Research.
Zhang, L., & Tian, X. (2011). Compilation and validation of the Teachers' Work Well-Being Scale. Psychological Research.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Community and Social Development Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
1. Articles, information, content, images, etc published in the “Community and Social Development Journal” are copyrighted by the Community and Social Development Journal, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University. In order to properly distribute the articles through print and electronic media, the authors still hold the copyright for the published articles under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows the re-distribution of the articles in other sources. References must be made to the articles in the journal. The authors are responsible for requesting permission to reproduce copyrighted content from other sources.
2. The content of the articles appearing in the journal is the direct responsibility of the article authors. The editorial board of the journal does not necessarily agree with or share any responsibility.
