Research on the Relationship between Educational Leadership in Higher Education and Teacher Professional Development

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between educational leadership and teacher professional development in Chinese primary schools, focusing on how school leaders facilitate the emergence of teacher leadership. Grounded in Distributed Leadership Theory and the concept of Teacher Professional Agency, the research employs a quantitative design using a structured questionnaire administered to 50 teachers. The findings indicate that school leadership practices-specifically participatory decision-making, professional development support, and the recognition of innovation-significantly influence teacher leadership development. Furthermore, correlation and regression analyses demonstrate that organizational and cultural factors, such as trust, collaboration, and shared values, exert a slightly more substantial effect than direct leadership actions. These results suggest that cultivating a supportive school culture is as critical as enhancing specific leadership behaviors. This study contributes theoretical insights into distributed leadership within the Chinese educational context and provides practical recommendations for school leaders and policymakers to strengthen teacher agency, promote collaborative cultures, and integrate leadership training with cultural development strategies. Finally, the research discusses implications for policy under the Education Modernization 2035 initiative and suggests directions for future research.