Examination of the relationship between teachers' organizational happiness levels and school heads' leadership styles

The main purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between teachers' organizational happiness levels and school administrators' leadership styles. For this purpose, the relationship between the variables affecting teachers' organizational happiness perceptions and leadership styles variables was examined. In the current research, three different designs were used in accordance with the problem and sub-problems of the research. "Descriptive survey model" (Fraenkel and Wallen, 2006) was used to determine the leadership style (transformational, laissez-faire and sustaining) and organizational happiness perceptions of the teachers participating in the research; "causal comparison" in comparing participant scores for the variables in question in the context of various demographic variables (Mertens, 2010); The "correlational model" (Mertens, 2010) was adopted to reveal the relationship between the research variables. The research population consists of 2450 teachers working in 133 public schools in Gebze district of Kocaeli province in the 2022-2023 academic year. The sample consists of 338 teachers working in 10 schools determined by simple random sampling method from the universe in question. Considering the sample size table suggested by Krejcie and Morgan (1970), it can be stated that the number of participants reached is sufficient. In the study, data was collected through the "School Principal's Leadership Style Scale" and "Teachers' Organizational Happiness Scale". Additionally, a personal information form created by the researcher was used to determine the demographic characteristics of the participants. The dimension in which the teachers participating in the research have the highest level of organizational happiness is classroom management, and the dimension in which it is lowest is the teaching profession. Similar studies in the literature and conducted in Türkiye indicate that the organizational happiness levels of teachers are generally positive, but not at a high level. When the relationship between the leadership styles and perceptions of organizational happiness of the teachers participating in the research is considered, it is understood that the relationships between transformational leadership and organizational happiness, the teaching profession, classroom management and positive personality dimensions are statistically significant, positive and moderate. On the other hand, the relationships between transformational leadership and organizational happiness, manager attitudes and behaviors, colleague relations, working conditions dimensions and the overall scale are statistically significant, positive and at a high level. According to the findings obtained from the study, in order to increase the organizational happiness levels of teachers, it is envisaged to make regulations in the sub-dimension of the teaching profession, such as teachers' personal rights, social and economic improvement and working conditions. As a result of the research, teachers' perceptions of organizational happiness in schools are positively related to transformational leadership, and school leaders are recommended to adopt transformational leadership behaviors in order to make the school organization an effective, adequate and dynamic organization.