The impact of inclusive leadership on professional collaboration between teachers

The aim of this study is to examine in detail the relationship between school administrators' inclusive leadership behaviors and professional collaboration among teachers, based on teachers' perceptions, and to reveal the results. The increasing diversity in schools in recent years has introduced the concept of inclusive leadership. It is considered that inclusive leadership will bring about professional collaboration among teachers. Professional collaboration among teachers is expected to advance schools in terms of education and teaching. The leadership behaviors of school administrators play a significant role in fostering professional collaboration within schools. The literature contains a limited number of independent studies addressing inclusive leadership and professional collaboration among teachers. Thus, there is a clear need for studies investigating the relationship between these two concepts. This study is expected to address unanswered questions in the literature regarding the extent to which inclusive leadership behaviors of school administrators occur and how they influence professional collaboration among teachers. To obtain clearer and more definitive results, a quantitative method was chosen. The research was designed using a correlational model to determine the extent to which school administrators' inclusive leadership behaviors predict professional collaboration among teachers. The study sample consists of teachers working in public schools at the preschool, primary school, middle school, and high school levels in the city center of Isparta during the 2024-2025 academic year. The data collection tools used were the "Inclusive Leadership Scale" and "Organizational Commitment Scale for Teachers". Data were analyzed using the SPSS software package. During the analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson Correlation Analysis, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were conducted. The findings indicate that school administrators' inclusive leadership behaviors are positively and moderately correlated with professional collaboration among teachers. It is observed that inclusive leadership explains professional collaboration among teachers at a significant and moderate level. Based on the results, recommendations were made to encourage inclusive leadership and professional collaboration among teachers.