Through the Eyes of Teachers: A Qualitative Synthesis of Perceptions of Principals' Transformational Leadership Practices in Chinese Schoolsll
Keywords:
teacher perceptions; transformational leadership; Chinese schools; trust; collective efficacy; teacher collaboration; school leadership; educational reform
Abstract
Despite extensive scholarship on transformational leadership in education, teachers' experiential and perceptual accounts of such leadership in Chinese schools remain underexplored. Most existing studies measure leadership through standardized instruments, overlooking the cultural, relational, and contextual dimensions through which teachers interpret and respond to principals' transformational practices. A qualitative library-based research design was employed, guided by the PRISMA framework. Six peer-reviewed studies published between 2017 and 2024 were systematically selected from Scopus and Web of Science and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged: (1) teachers' perceptions of trust and emotional connection as core dimensions of transformational leadership; (2) the perceived impact of transformational leadership on teacher collaboration and collective efficacy; and (3) perceived challenges and contextual limitations in the enactment of transformational leadership. Findings reveal that teachers value relational authenticity, moral consistency, and participatory structures while identifying bureaucratic constraints, cultural hierarchy, and workload pressures as inhibitors of full leadership enactment. Teachers' perceptions of transformational leadership are fundamentally relational and culturally mediated. Effective transformational principals in China combine inspirational vision with emotional intelligence and moral authority. Sustainable leadership impact requires systemic institutional support that reduces administrative burdens and expands teachers' professional autonomy. These findings offer important theoretical extensions to transformational leadership research and practical guidance for leadership development in Chinese and broader East Asian educational contexts.
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Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Walumbwa, F. O., Luthans, F., & May, D. R. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leaders impact follower attitudes and behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(6), 801–823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2004.09.003
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. SAGE Publications.
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. Wiley.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.
Bush, T., & Middlewood, D. (2013). Leading and managing people in education (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Chen, C. C., & Chen, Y. R. (2004). On the intricacies of the Chinese guanxi: A process model of guanxi development. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 21(3), 305–324. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:APJM.0000036465.19102.b3
Chen, J. (2020). The impact of transformational leadership on teacher commitment: Evidence from Chinese secondary schools. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(2), 250–270. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218802595
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 611–628. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.611
Fang, Y., & Yu, G. (2023). Transformational leadership and teachers' organizational commitment in Chinese schools: A meta-analysis. Educational Studies, 49(1), 17–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2021.1907571
Hallinger, P. (2018). Bringing context out of the shadows of leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216670652
Hallinger, P., & Liu, S. (2020). Principals' instructional leadership in China: Perspectives from teachers in a national study. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(4), 685–706. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143219836685
Hargreaves, A., & O'Connor, M. T. (2018). Solidarity with solidity: The case for collaborative professionalism. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(1), 20–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965975X.2018.1522455
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Hoy, W. K., & Tschannen-Moran, M. (2003). The conceptualization and measurement of faculty trust in schools. Studies in Leading and Organizing Schools, 181–207.
Jiang, H., & Li, B. (2023). Navigating reform and tradition: School leadership in contemporary China. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 43(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2021.1965872
Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2006). Transformational school leadership for large-scale reform: Effects on students, teachers, and their classroom practices. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 17(2), 201–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450600565829
Leithwood, K., & Sun, J. (2012). The nature and effects of transformational school leadership: A meta-analytic review of unpublished research. Educational Administration Quarterly, 48(3), 387–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X11436268
Leithwood, K., Sun, J., & Pollock, K. (2022). How school leaders contribute to student success: The four paths framework. Springer.
Li, H., & Shi, K. (2021). Exploring principal leadership and teacher motivation in Chinese schools. Asia Pacific Education Review, 22(3), 471–484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-021-09705-0
Li, Q. (2022). A review of transformational leadership research in China (2010–2019): Trends, methods, and gaps. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 43(6), 897–914. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-11-2021-0524
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Liu, S., Hallinger, P., & Feng, D. (2022). Developing teachers' collective efficacy through transformational leadership in China: A multilevel analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 111, 103628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103628
Liu, Y., Li, M., & Wang, Q. (2020). Principal transformational leadership and collective teacher efficacy in Chinese primary schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(7), 1143–1157. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-09-2019-0330
Lord, R. G., & Maher, K. J. (1991). Leadership and information processing: Linking perceptions and performance. Unwin Hyman.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
Schwandt, T. A. (2015). The SAGE dictionary of qualitative inquiry (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Sergiovanni, T. J. (1992). Moral leadership: Getting to the heart of school improvement. Jossey-Bass.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Tschannen-Moran, M., & Gareis, C. R. (2015). Principals, trust, and cultivating vibrant schools. Societies, 5(2), 256–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2014.998099
Wang, L., & Chan, K. (2015). The challenges of transformational leadership in Chinese schools: A teacher's perspective. Educational Review, 67(3), 340–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2014.971830
Xie, Y. (2022). Transformational school leadership and teacher collaboration in China: Mediating effects of trust and commitment. Educational Studies, 48(5), 621–639. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1861394
Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson Education.
Zeng, J., Wong, K. Y., & Li, H. (2023). Leadership for professional learning communities in Chinese schools: Transformational perspectives. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 43(2), 145–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2022.2047856
Zhang, Q., & Sun, Y. (2024). Exploring transformational leadership and teacher innovation in Chinese primary schools. International Journal of Educational Research, 128, 102134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102134
Zhang, X., Huang, R., & Xu, Y. (2022). Principal transformational leadership and teacher collaboration in Chinese schools: A structural equation model. Frontiers in Education, 7, 824183. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.824183
Zhao, Y., Chen, L., Wang, H., & Liu, T. (2023). Transformational leadership and teachers' innovative behavior in Chinese schools: The mediating role of meaning at work and moderating role of uncertainty avoidance. Asia Pacific Education Review, 24(1), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09771-0
Published
2026-09-04
How to Cite
Yang Yitian, & Mohammad Mustari. (2026). Through the Eyes of Teachers: A Qualitative Synthesis of Perceptions of Principals’ Transformational Leadership Practices in Chinese Schoolsll. International Journal of Education, Vocational and Social Science , 5(04), 108-125. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6352
Contact Person +6282139474255
Email : ijevss@citakonsultindo.or.id / editor.ijevss@gmail.com
