TY - JOUR

T1 - School leaders’ innovation-related self-efficacy: professional development and learning networks make a difference

AU - Syvertsen, Ida malini

AU - Röhl, Sebastian

AU - Pietsch, Marcus

AU - Cramer, Colin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2024/12/6

Y1 - 2024/12/6

N2 - Many studies point to the relevance of school leaders’ self-efficacy for the successful organisation and management of schools. However, to date, there are only a few findings on which factors have a positive influence on this characteristic. This study therefore examines the extent to which the use of formal and informal learning opportunities, in addition to the antecedents mentioned by Bandura (mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, physiological and emotional states), have a direct positive effect on school leaders’ innovation-related self-efficacy, as well as an indirect effect on self-efficacy mediated by mastery experience. Analyses of a survey with a representative sample of N = 405 school leaders in Germany using structural equation models confirmed the effect of mastery experience (i.e. perceived achievement), vicarious experience (i.e. encouragement from a team), and emotional states (i.e. exhaustion) on school leaders’ self-efficacy. Regarding professional development, the analyses revealed a direct positive effect of participation in university training and professional learning networks, which were not mediated by mastery experience. Our results demonstrate the value of leadership preparation programmes that enable the participants to explore different work-related tasks and promote feelings of mastery, as well as the importance of team coherency and potential value of distributed work.

AB - Many studies point to the relevance of school leaders’ self-efficacy for the successful organisation and management of schools. However, to date, there are only a few findings on which factors have a positive influence on this characteristic. This study therefore examines the extent to which the use of formal and informal learning opportunities, in addition to the antecedents mentioned by Bandura (mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, physiological and emotional states), have a direct positive effect on school leaders’ innovation-related self-efficacy, as well as an indirect effect on self-efficacy mediated by mastery experience. Analyses of a survey with a representative sample of N = 405 school leaders in Germany using structural equation models confirmed the effect of mastery experience (i.e. perceived achievement), vicarious experience (i.e. encouragement from a team), and emotional states (i.e. exhaustion) on school leaders’ self-efficacy. Regarding professional development, the analyses revealed a direct positive effect of participation in university training and professional learning networks, which were not mediated by mastery experience. Our results demonstrate the value of leadership preparation programmes that enable the participants to explore different work-related tasks and promote feelings of mastery, as well as the importance of team coherency and potential value of distributed work.

KW - Self-efficacy

KW - innovation

KW - professional development

KW - school leaders

KW - Educational science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211005112&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/19415257.2024.2434106

DO - 10.1080/19415257.2024.2434106

M3 - Journal articles

JO - Professional Development in Education

JF - Professional Development in Education

SN - 1941-5257

ER -