Motivating teachers’ commitment to change through distributed leadership in Chinese urban primary schools

Abstract

Purpose

Understanding the relationship between distributed leadership and teachers commitment to change in the Chinese urban primary school context was the purpose of this study.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative research method is used in this study. For ensuring comprehensiveness, this research employed a random sampling method. This study took place in Chinese urban primary schools. A total of 350 questionnaires were circulated, 318 questionnaires were returned, and 291 questionnaires were valid, with a response rate of 90.9 per cent and a validity rate of 91.5 per cent.

Findings

The results of path analysis indicated that various dimensions of distributed leadership, including collaboration and cooperation, responsibility and accountability, and values and beliefs, had significant effects on group competence. Collaboration and cooperation and decision making had significant relationships with task analysis. Collaboration and cooperation, responsibility and accountability, and values and beliefs had significant effects on collective teacher efficacy as a single variable.

Originality/value

These findings contribute to the understanding of educational management in the Chinese context and advance knowledge about distributed leadership theories in an East Asian context.

Citation

Liu, P. (2020), "Motivating teachers’ commitment to change through distributed leadership in Chinese urban primary schools", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 34 No. 7, pp. 1171-1183. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-12-2019-0431