The Impact of Leadership Styles on Teacher Self-Efficacy and Professional Development

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of different leadership styles—transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire—on teacher self-efficacy and professional development. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, the research analyzes data from 300 primary and secondary school teachers, gathered through structured questionnaires including the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES), and Professional Development Engagement Scale (PDES). The results indicate that transformational leadership significantly enhances teacher self-efficacy (β = 0.40, p < 0.01) and supports professional development (β = 0.35, p < 0.05), while transactional leadership shows minimal impact on these outcomes. Furthermore, teacher self-efficacy mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and professional development (indirect effect = 0.30, p < 0.01). Moderation analysis reveals that years of teaching experience moderates the effect of transformational leadership on self-efficacy, with a more pronounced impact observed for teachers with 1-5 years of experience (β = 0.35, p < 0.05). The study underscores the importance of transformational leadership in fostering teacher growth and suggests that leadership training programs should emphasize this style to maximize teacher development and efficacy.