Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Knowledge and Information Sciences, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
2
PhD student in Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between transformational leadership and teachers' collective responsibility in Khorramabad county, with intellectual stimulation as a mediating variable. Within the context of challenges in the Iranian educational system (centralization, resistance to innovation), transformational leadership has been identified as a key paradigm for fostering social capital and collective responsibility. This research addresses a theoretical gap in understanding the mechanisms of transformational leadership's influence in hierarchical systems and the need for localized strategies.
Methodology: This was an applied study employing a descriptive-correlational approach based on structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The statistical population comprised 1619 elementary school teachers in Khorramabad during the academic year 2024-2025. Using the Krejcie and Morgan table, a stratified random sample of 310 teachers was selected. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires for transformational leadership (Yi et al., 2019), collective responsibility (Logerfo & Goddard, 2008), and intellectual stimulation (Boutaki et al., 2024). The reliability of the instruments was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. Convergent and discriminant validity (using the Fornell-Larcker criterion) were found to be satisfactory.
Findings: The findings indicate that transformational leadership has a direct, positive, and significant effect on teachers' collective responsibility (β=0.141). Transformational leadership also has a direct positive effect on intellectual stimulation (β=0.381). Intellectual stimulation, in turn, has a direct positive effect on collective responsibility (β=0.470). As a mediating variable, intellectual stimulation facilitates the indirect effect of transformational leadership on collective responsibility (β=0.185). The overall goodness-of-fit index for the model was favorable (GOF=0.323).
Discussion and Conclusion: The findings suggest that transformational leaders, through intellectual stimulation (encouraging critical reflection, innovation, and collective problem-solving), strengthen teachers' shared belief in collective efficacy and elevate responsibility from an individual to a group commitment. This mechanism operates effectively even within Iran's hierarchical context, overcoming obstacles such as centralization. Educational administrators are recommended to institutionalize intellectual stimulation and collective responsibility by designing problem-solving workshops, professional dialogues, and redesigning the evaluation system (emphasizing group criteria). The main limitation of this research is its lack of generalizability to other educational levels and regions with different cultural contexts.
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