Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between supportive behaviors of school principals and teacher leadership in state high schools. A total of 485 teachers employed in high schools in Kastamonu, participated in this study. The research was designed using a correlational model. Data was collected via “Teacher Leadership Scale,” developed by Beycioğlu and Aslan (2010), and the “Principal Support Scale,” developed by Litrell (1992) and adapted into Turkish by Günbayı, Dağlı and Kalkan (2013). Arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients, and Simple Linear Regression were conducted to analyze the data. Results revealed that teachers’ perceptions of teacher leadership behaviors is at a high level; teachers exhibit such behaviors usually in terms of a professional improvement subscale; teachers’ perceptions of support from their principal is high; as school principals’ supporting behaviors increase, teachers’ levels of exhibiting teachers’ leadership behaviors also increase; school principal’s support was a significant predictor on all subscales of teacher leadership. The findings of the study are discussed in relation to literature and some suggestions are offered.

Keywords: