The effect of school leadership on teachers' instructional practices: Mediating role of collective teacher culture and moderating role of trust in school leader

This study examines the impact of school leadership on teachers' instructional practices, focusing on the mediating role of collective teacher culture and the moderating role of trust in school leaders. Using Social Exchange Theory as a framework, the study investigates how school leadership affects instructional practices in secondary and high schools in Türkiye. The study formulates and tests five hypotheses to investigate these relationships: School leadership positively affects collective teacher culture (H1); Collective teacher culture positively affects teachers' instructional practices (H2); Collective teacher culture mediates the relationship between school leadership and teacher instructional practices (H3); Trust in school leaders moderates the relationship between school leadership and collective teacher culture (H4); and The indirect effect of school leadership on instructional practices through collective teacher culture is moderated by trust in school leaders (H5). A two-stage cluster sampling method was used to select a representative sample from 79 public secondary schools and public general high schools from seven regions of Turkey. A total of 857 teachers from seven provinces participated in the study. Data were collected using scales and analyzed using Bayesian Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling in Mplus 8.11. The nested structure of the data, where teachers were clustered within schools, allowed the study to account for school-level variability. The results confirmed all five hypotheses, highlighting the role of school leadership in shaping collective teacher culture and improving instructional practices. Trust in school leaders was found to strengthen the relationship between leadership and teacher culture and the indirect effect of leadership on instructional practices through teacher culture. These findings underscore the importance of fostering trust, collaboration, and a harmonious teacher culture to improve teaching quality and student outcomes. This study provides valuable insight into how school leadership indirectly affects teachers' instructional practices by building trust and encouraging collaboration and mutual understanding among teachers. In addition, the study has implications for educational policies, practices, and research.