Integration of teachers' task orientation and nurturing functions: Analysis the contents of teachers' leadership behavior

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine how 2 contradictory leadership functions of teachers-task orientation and nurturing-are integrated, through an analysis of the contents of teachers' leadership behavior. Elementary school teachers (TV = 191) completed a questionnaire on their own leadership behavior and their pupils' task motivation, performance, and solidarity. It was found that in the higher grades, teachers' task-oriented leadership behavior (confrontation) was positively correlated with their nurturing leadership behavior (understanding). The more the teachers implemented such leadership behavior, the greater was the effect on pupils' task motivation, degree of compliance, and classroom solidarity. In the middle grades, the more the teachers implemented nurturing leadership behavior, the greater were the assessed values on discipline-compliance motivation, degree of compliance, and classroom solidarity. However, in the evaluation of the task motivation and classroom solidarity of children in grades 4-6 (1,037 students in 34 classes), only their classroom solidarity was consistent with their teachers' evaluations. In the higher grades, the mutual promotion of confrontation and nurturing was shown to be a practice that integrated the 2 leadership functions. The present results suggest that these behaviors are influenced by differences in resources and tasks among grades.