The relationship between distributed leadership and teacher well-being: The mediating roles of organisational trust

Abstract

Teacher well-being plays an important role in education reform because it marks teachers’ positive evaluation of and healthy functioning in their work environment. However, there has been insufficient research on the relationship between distributed leadership and teacher well-being and on how organisational trust works as a mediator between these two constructs. Based on responses from 587 teachers in primary schools in southwest China, this study examined how distributed leadership contributes to teacher well-being with attention to the mediating role of organisational trust. Using structural equation modelling and bootstrapping tests, the analysis showed a nonsignificant direct effect between distributed leadership and teacher well-being. Organisational trust and its two dimensions, namely trust in the working team and trust in the principal, had significant mediating effects on the relationship between distributed leadership and teacher well-being. However, the dimension of trust in the work setting did not appear to be a significant mediator. This study contributes to a better understanding of the transferability of leadership theories across cultures and to a deepening comprehension of strategies for improving teacher well-being in Chinese schools and similar contexts. Implications of the study and future research direction are presented.

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