The predictive effect of principals’ adaptive leadership behaviour on teachers' workplace engagement in public secondary schools of Amhara, as perceived by teachers

Abstract

The study examined the effect of principals’ adaptive leadership behavior on teachers' work engagement in public secondary schools in the Amhara regional state. A correlational design with a quantitative approach was employed. Using multistage and proportionate stratified random sampling, data were collected from 967 teachers via questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation (r), multiple linear regression, and one-way ANOVA. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between principals' adaptive leadership behavior and teachers' work engagement (r =.682, p <.001). Moreover, 46.1% of teachers' workplace engagement variation is explained by the combined effect of adaptive leadership behaviors. Significant differences were found in teachers' perceptions of adaptive leadership behaviors across zones (F (5,854) = 6.407, p < 0.01), but no significant differences were observed in their perceptions of workplace engagement (F (5,854) = 1.289, p =.267). In conclusion, principals' adaptive leadership behaviors significantly predict and enhance teachers' workplace engagement, highlighting its practical importance.