Learning–centred leadership and student achievement: Understanding the mediating effect of the teacher professional community and parental involvement

This paper examines the links between learning–centred leadership and student achievement through the mediating effect of teacher professional community and parental involvement. Using teacher and student survey data collected from 79 lower secondary Turkish schools in 12 provinces across the country in 2019, this study employs multilevel structural equation modelling. The findings of the current study add to the growing knowledge base in the non-western societies, revealing the impact of principals’ leadership on school processes and outcomes in Turkey. The study suggests that principals have a crucial role in improving student achievement by enhancing situations in which teachers work, namely, organisational and family paths. It suggests that principals’ leadership practices still matter for teacher professional community and parental involvement in non-western countries. Implications for policy, practice and further research are discussed.

The Relationship Between Teacher Professional Community and Participative Decision-Making in Schools in 22 European Countries

Various empirical studies have established the positive relationship between teacher professional community (PC) and participative decision-making (PDM) within schools. Considering that these relationships proved relevant to school improvement in different countries, a comparative approach will allow us to establish whether this positive relationship holds true for a wider range of European countries. This study presents results of this relationship using data from 35,000 secondary teachers in 22 European countries. Taking an exploratory approach, the study investigates the relationship between the presence of PC and the school actors involved in PDM. We are particularly interested in the level of active participation in decision-making by teachers, the school governor or counsellor, and by students, and the relative presence of PC. We find this relationship to be significant and positive, but varying in strength according to the actors involved in decision-making. Furthermore, the relationship is stronger across all countries studied when teachers are significantly involved in decision-making as opposed to when school counsellors or governors are more involved. Regarding student involvement in decision-making, its relationship with PC proved stronger when students could influence school rules or help choose teaching and learning materials. The relationships measured and compared across countries were tested for robustness by applying a test for measurement invariance of the PC latent concept and discussing its implications for the relationships of interest. After other relevant robustness checks, we conclude that, across all European countries studied, there is a positive relationship between PC and PDM in schools, with the involvement of some actors in PDM being more indicative of the presence of PC than the involvement of others.