Title:
The Impact of School Principals’ Ethical Leadership on Teachers’ Organizational Commitment in Public Schools of Ardabil Province
Authors:
Elhameh Fathi
(Corresponding Author
)
Secondary Education Department, Ministry of Education, General Directorate of Education of Ardabil Province, Parsabad, Iran
)
Secondary Education Department, Ministry of Education, General Directorate of Education of Ardabil Province, Parsabad, Iran
Abstract:
Ethical leadership, as one of the important components of educational management, plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of teachers’ performance and creating a desirable learning environment. The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the impact of school principals’ ethical leadership on teachers’ organizational commitment in public schools of Ardabil Province. The research method was quantitative and cross-sectional correlational-causal in nature, and its statistical population included all teachers in public schools of the province. The sample was selected using stratified random sampling, and the data were collected through standardized questionnaires on ethical leadership and organizational commitment. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression. The findings showed that principals’ ethical leadership had a positive and significant relationship with all dimensions of teachers’ organizational commitment, including affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. The strongest correlation and effect were related to teachers’ affective commitment, indicating the decisive role of principals’ ethical behaviors in fostering teachers’ sense of belonging and intrinsic motivation. The R2R2 values also showed that ethical leadership explained a considerable proportion of the variance in teachers’ organizational commitment. The results of the study emphasize that strengthening school principals’ ethical behaviors can lead to increased teachers’ organizational commitment, improved job satisfaction, and enhanced educational performance. Based on the findings, it is recommended that training courses on ethical leadership be held for school principals, ethical policies and frameworks in schools be reinforced, and a supportive and motivating work environment for teachers be provided.