The predictive influence of principals’ ethical leadership on teacher work engagement in secondary schools

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of principals’ ethical leadership practices on teacher work engagement in public secondary schools in the West Gondar Zone Administration, Ethiopia. Grounded in Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory and Social Exchange Theory (SET), the research utilized a descriptive-correlational survey design with a quantitative approach. Data were collected from 165 teachers using questionnaires and analyzed through both descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson correlation and multiple regressions. The findings reveal an organizational paradox where ethical leadership is practiced at a relatively low level as perceived by teachers, yet work engagement remains notably high. Despite this discrepancy, a strong positive correlation exists between the two variables. Specifically, the study confirms that ethical leadership practice accounts for 33.1% of the variance in teacher engagement, with the dimension of ethical guidance emerging as the sole statistically significant predictor. These results suggest that while personal vocation may sustain current engagement, strengthening ethical leadership, particularly through clear ethical direction, holds substantial potential to further stabilize the teaching workforce. It is recommended that the West Gondar Zone Education Department prioritize targeted ethical leadership training and foster a culture of accountability to consolidate and enhance teacher commitment.