A Study of the Empowerment of Executive Staff in Primary Schools of Ardabil Province

The present study aimed to examine the status of empowerment among executive staff in primary schools of Ardabil Province. In recent years, human resource empowerment in educational organizations, particularly in schools, has been considered a key factor in improving educational quality and enhancing organizational performance. This study is applied in nature and was conducted using a descriptive research method. The statistical population included all executive staff working in primary schools in Ardabil Province. A sample of 185 participants was selected using convenience sampling, and data were collected through the standardized School Participant Empowerment Questionnaire developed by Short and Rinehart (1992), consisting of 38 items. The reliability of the instrument was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded a value of 0.77, indicating an acceptable level of reliability. The results of the one-sample t-test showed that teachers were satisfied with the empowerment of school executive staff. The mean scores of the variables of decision-making, professional growth, status, self-efficacy, autonomy, and impact were all higher than the theoretical mean (3), indicating teachers’ positive perceptions of the empowerment status. The calculated t-value was 4.86, with a significance level below 0.05, confirming the research hypothesis that teachers are satisfied with the empowerment of executive staff. Overall, the findings indicate that executive staff in primary schools of Ardabil Province benefit from a relatively favorable level of empowerment. However, there is still a need to further strengthen the dimensions of autonomy and professional growth. The results of this study may provide a basis for educational policymaking aimed at increasing the effectiveness of school management and improving teachers’ job satisfaction.