The influence of authentic leadership on teacher performance in Guiyang public primary schools

Abstract

This study examines the impact of authentic leadership on teacher performance within the context of Chinese primary schools, focusing specifically on the mediating roles of internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency. Utilizing a sample of 396 primary school teachers from 18 public primary schools in Guiyang, China, the study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data. Results reveal that all four dimensions of authentic leadership—self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency—significantly enhance teacher performance. Additionally, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency were found to mediate the relationship between self-awareness and teacher performance. These findings highlight the importance of fostering authentic leadership to improve educational outcomes. The study discusses its implications for teacher training programs, potential limitations, and directions for future research.