Li, Jingjing;
(2024)
Exploring the Impact of School Leadership on Teacher Well-being in Three High-performing Case Study Schools in China.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This research explores the topic of school leadership and its relationship with teacher well-being. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design, incorporating three case studies, was employed to explore the key factors that affect teacher well-being and how leadership practices impact teacher well-being in three high-performing case study schools in China. Utilising a purposive sampling technique in three case study schools, data were collected from teachers (n=213) using online questionnaires (Phase 1), and semi-structured interviews were conducted with both teachers (n=15) and vice principals (n=2) (Phase 2). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (Phase 1), and thematic analysis (Phase 2). An interpretivist epistemological position was adopted for this study. The analysis generated five themes: 1) Developing a strong sense of teacher professionalism contributes to teacher well-being; 2) School leadership practices can impact on teacher well-being negatively; 3) An external results-driven culture has a more significant impact on school leadership practice; 4) School leaders’ personal and professional biographies play a key role in achieving collective values through school leadership practices; 5) Cultivating an effective leadership can promote the interpersonal relationships between school leaders and teachers, and enhance teacher perceived well-being. Key findings reveal that both external results-driven accountability and school leaders’ personal and professional biographies impact on the enactment of school leadership practices, and these leadership practices can affect teachers’ professionalism, professionalisation, and well-being. Furthermore, the study goes beyond simply stating that developing a strong sense of teacher professionalism contributes to teacher well-being. As perceived by teachers, it can further have a positive influence on student learning and achievement. The implications of these findings are discussed. Potential avenues for future research and reflections on my scholarly journey are included.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Exploring the Impact of School Leadership on Teacher Well-being in Three High-performing Case Study Schools in China |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Learning and Leadership |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10194686 |
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