Does distributed leadership improve teacher agency? Exploring the mediating effect of teacher reflection

The manner in which perceived principal distributed leadership affects teachers’ professional agency remains ambiguous in Oman. The study aimed to explore the effect of distributed leadership on teacher agency through teacher reflection. In the cross-sectional study, survey data were gathered from 1095 teachers in 58 middle and secondary schools in Muscat, Oman. Structural equation modelling and bootstrapping were used to analyse the data. Data analysis revealed that distributed leadership elicited significant direct and indirect effects on teacher agency, with teacher reflection playing a partial mediating role in this relationship. These results contribute to an existing body of research that confirms the relationship between principal leadership and teacher agency and highlights the importance of reflection in shaping this relationship. Moreover, these results could provide cultural evidence for theoretical implications and offer evidence-based guidance to policymakers and principals to promote teacher agency.