Transformational Leadership and Teachers’ Organizational Commitment in Jordanian Public Schools: Evidence from the First Zarqa Education Directorate

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which public school principals in the First Zarqa Education Directorate practice transformational leadership and examined its relationship with teachers’ organizational commitment. The study adopted a descriptive correlational design. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed to measure two main constructs: transformational leadership and organizational commitment. The sample consisted of 562 male and female teachers selected randomly from public schools in the directorate. The findings showed that teachers perceived principals’ practice of transformational leadership to be high, with a mean score of 3.74 and a standard deviation of 0.62. No statistically significant differences were found in teachers’ perceptions of transformational leadership according to gender, whereas significant differences were found according to years of experience, in favor of teachers with fewer than ten years of service. The results also indicated that teachers’ organizational commitment was high, with a mean score of 3.74 and a standard deviation of 0.64. In addition, a positive correlation was found between principals’ transformational leadership practices and teachers’ organizational commitment. These findings highlight the importance of transformational leadership in strengthening teachers’ attachment to their schools and enhancing commitment within public education institutions. The study recommends that school leaders adopt transformational leadership practices, particularly those related to motivation, shared vision, professional support, and participatory decision-making, as these practices may contribute to improving teachers’ organizational commitment.