Mediating Role of School Climate Between Democratic Leadership Style and Teachers’ Professional Commitment

Abstract

The present study focuses on relationship between democratic leadership style and teachers’ professional commitment with mediating role of school climate. . The study is based on positivism philosophy. As per the Annual Statistical Report (ASR) 2022, 3106 Secondary School Teachers (SSTs) working in five districts in which 354 SSTs were selected by using stratified sampling method. Yamame’s (1967) formula was used to calculate the sample size. A questionnaire was developed for data collection including 12 items related to democratic leadership style, 20 items related to school climate and 18 items related to professional commitment of teachers. Reliability of Democratic Leadership Scale, School climate scale and Teachers’ Professional Commitment scale was estimated .764, .870 and .845 respectively.   Pearson Product Moment Correlation and mediation analysis was used by applying Hayes (2015) Process Macro. The study's findings indicate that professional commitment and democratic leadership style was found partially mediated by school climate. The study suggested that principals in sample districts may exercise democratic leadership to strengthen the teachers' commitment to their job.