Examination of the relationship between school principals' distributive leadership skills and teachers' perceptions of organizational support

This research aims to determine the relationship between school principals' distributive leadership skills and teachers' organizational support perceptions using a predictive correlational model as a quantitative research method. Stratified sampling was used to determine the sample of the study. Official preschools, primary schools, middle schools, and high schools located in Nizip district of Gaziantep province were determined as strata and 482 teachers working in these schools were included in the sample. A data collection tool consisting of three parts, namely "Personal Information Form," "Distributive Leadership Scale," and "Perceived Organizational Support Scale," was used to collect research data. The data obtained from the research were analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 package program. T-Test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation analysis, and simple and hierarchical regression analyses were used in data analysis. According to the research findings, it was found that teacher perceptions regarding school principals' distributive leadership skills were high; there was no significant difference according to gender, age, marital status, professional seniority, working time with the same school principal, and number of teachers; and there was a significant difference in dimensions according to educational status, school type, and employment status variables. Teachers' organizational support perceptions were high; there was no significant difference according to marital status variable; and there was a significant difference in general and dimensions according to gender, age, educational status, school type, employment status, professional seniority, working time with the same school principal, and number of teachers variables. On the other hand, it was determined that there was a high positive relationship between school principals' distributive leadership skills and teachers' organizational support perceptions. School principals' distributive leadership skills are a significant predictor of teachers' organizational support perceptions in a positive way. The distributive leadership explains 74% of the total variance in organizational support. Based on the findings, results, and relevant literature of the research, recommendations were made.