The Relationship between School Principals’ Leadership Behaviours and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review aims to investigate the relationship between school principals’ leadership behaviours and teachers’ job satisfaction. With this purpose, studies that focused on this relationship in the literature were examined. Twenty-seven studies found in different databases (i.e. ERIC, WOS, SCOPUS and ULAKBİM) were included in the analysis. These studies mostly focused on the relationships between school principals’ transformational and interaction leadership behaviours and teachers’ job satisfaction. Additionally, job satisfaction was also studied in relation to servant leadership, ethical leadership, distributive leadership, individual- and task-oriented leadership and school leadership behaviours. Based on the findings of the studies examined, school principals’ transformation leadership behaviours were found to have stronger relationships with teachers’ job satisfaction compared to interactional leadership behaviours and were an important predictor of job satisfaction. Negative relationships were revealed between laissez-faire leadership and job satisfaction. On the other hand, school principals’ servant leadership and ethical leadership behaviours were found to be important variables in ensuring job satisfaction. Lastly, school principals’ administrative behaviours that encourage participation and are flexible, sharing leadership at school, and exhibiting individual-oriented and supportive leadership behaviours were revealed to enhance teachers’ job satisfaction.