School heads’ transformational leadership and students’ modernity: the multiple mediating effects of school climates

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the mediating effects of school climate on the relationship between school heads’ transformational leadership and students’ modernity. We asked teachers to report on their school heads’ transformational leadership, school climates, and students’ modernity. Data were collected from 378 teachers from 42 middle and primary schools in five provinces in mainland China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to test multiple mediating effects. Results indicated that school climates, including affiliation climate, innovation climate, and justice climate, were significantly affected by school heads’ transformational leadership. All these three school climates had positive effects on students’ modernity, and partially mediated the relationship between school heads’ transformational leadership and students’ modernity. These three mediating variables accounted for 35.1% of the total indirect effects; the innovation climate accounted for 15.6% of the total indirect effects, followed by justice climate (11.7%) and affiliation climate (7.8%). Results suggest that school climates are important factors that need special attention when school heads wish to develop students’ modernity. In the implementation of transformational leadership, the combination of school climates and the establishment of innovation, justice, and affiliation climates should be emphasized.