Emotionally intelligent school leadership predicts educator well-being before and during a crisis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Two-wave observational panel study and cross-sectional survey
PubMed 38425349 · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1159382
What was done
Researchers examined whether preK-12 educators' perceptions of their school leaders' emotion regulation (ER) and emotional support (ES) predicted educator well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed across two national US samples: a cross-sectional study (Study 1, n = 4,847) and a two-wave study (Study 2, n = 2,749) using structural equation modeling and multilevel modeling. Outcomes assessed included positive affect, job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions, with moderation analyses testing differences by severity of COVID-19 health impacts (illness and death).
What was found
The abstract reports no exact numerical values, effect sizes, or test statistics. Directionally, educator-reported leader ER and ES were positively associated with positive affect and job satisfaction, and negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions in both studies. Leader ER predicted well-being similarly regardless of whether educators experienced severe or mild COVID-19 health impacts. In contrast, leader ES showed a stronger association with certain well-being outcomes among educators facing severe pandemic-related health impacts.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that school leaders' emotional competencies, particularly self-regulation and targeted emotional support, are associated with teacher retention and psychological well-being during both baseline operations and crisis periods.
Limits
The study relied entirely on subjective educator perceptions of leader behaviors and self-reported well-being rather than objective workplace or retention metrics. The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes or confidence intervals, preventing assessment of the magnitude of the associations. Unmeasured confounding related to broader school climate and resources cannot be ruled out.