Date of Award
6-2-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Ibrahim Duyar
Committee Members
Allison Paolini; Jackie McBride; Kim Hester
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2023 W38
Abstract
Teacher shortage and teacher attrition has been one of the most sustaining educational issues for policymakers and educational leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of current organizational constraints and principals’ authentic leadership on teachers’ psychological well-being. Carol Ryff’s (1989) Psychological Well-Being Theory guided the current study. Ryff emphasized that optimal psychological functioning is required for the development and self-realization of an individual. The theory of psychological well-being is multidimensional and has six distinct dimensions of psychological wellness. The study examined the influence of organizational stressors and principals’ authentic leadership. It hypothesized that while organizational stressors would negatively influence, principals’ authentic leadership practices would pose a positive influence on teachers’ well-being. This study employed a non-experimental quantitative survey (Creswell, 2013) and causal-comparative research designs (Schenker & Rumrill, 2004). Data was collected and analyzed using the intended scales, or surveys, concerning occupational stressors, authentic leadership, psychological well-being, and coping strategies. The study sought the opinions and views of Arkansas elementary and secondary public school teachers in four large, rural, suburban, and urban school districts then expanded the request for participation using social media. The study utilized scales specific to the variables in the study: Organizational Constraints Scale (OCS), Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being (RSPW), and Brief COPE Scale. The analysis of data found that gender and work experience had impacts on subcategories of psychological well-being. It also found that organizational constraints and principals’ authentic leadership significantly influenced teachers’ psychological well-being, however, teachers’ coping mechanisms did not determine teachers’ psychological well-being. Lastly, principals’ authentic leadership did not moderate the relationship between organizational constraints and teachers’ psychological well-being. Implications for the study includes adding to existing research about teachers’ psychological well-being and its determinants. It can also encourage further research to be done regarding teacher self-efficacy, other determining factors, and additional geographical locations. The findings can help policymakers develop policies to ensure adequate equipment and training in its place and establish social support and care to help foster teacher self-efficacy.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Watkins, Jennifer Renee, "Influence of Organizational Constraints, Principals' Authentic Leadership, and Teachers' Coping Strategies on Teachers' Psychological Well-Being" (2023). Student Theses and Dissertations. 189.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/189
