The Examination of the Relationship between Principals' Transformational Leadership, Teaching Self-Efficacy, and Cognitive Flexibility in High Schools

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among transformational leadership, teaching self-efficacy, and teachers’ cognitive flexibility in high schools. In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sampling technique was used to select 2,872 teachers (male = 49% and female = 51%; mean age = 38.23 years, SD = 9.31) with teaching experience ranging from 1 to 40 years (M = 17.81; SD = 9.57) from 39 high schools across 11 provinces in Cambodia. Participants responded to a survey adapted from established instruments to measure transformational leadership (idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration), teaching self-efficacy (efficacy for instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement), and cognitive flexibility (alternatives). The data was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structure equation modelling. The SEM results revealed a differentiated pattern of effects across the dimensions of transformational leadership. Among these, intellectual stimulation emerged as the most robust predictor, exerting positive effects on efficacy for instructional strategies, classroom management, student engagement, and cognitive flexibility. In contrast, individualized consideration significantly predicted all dimensions of teaching self-efficacy but showed no direct effect on cognitive flexibility. Meanwhile, inspirational motivation and idealized influence demonstrated limited direct effects; however, both exerted significant indirect effects through teaching self-efficacy. Furthermore, all three dimensions of teaching self-efficacy significantly predicted cognitive flexibility, confirming its important mediating role. These findings suggest that transformational leadership enhances teachers’ cognitive adaptability primarily through efficacy-based mechanisms rather than direct effects alone. This study contributes to the existing literature by clarifying the relationships between leadership and teachers’ innovative thinking and by providing empirical evidence from an under-researched educational context.