The impact of leadership dispositions on teacher and student engagement: A case study of a local university in Hong Kong

Understanding the impact of leadership dispositions on teacher and student engagement is crucial for enhancing effective leadership practices in education. This study seeks to investigate how various leadership traits influence engagement levels among teachers and students, with the goal of informing leadership strategies that promote positive outcomes in educational settings.

This research explores how leadership dispositions, which can refer to a set of personal qualities, characteristics, and attitudes, such as supportiveness, empowerment and collaboration, contribute to effective leadership and shape teacher and student engagement. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) In what way are teacher engagement and student engagement influenced by leadership dispositions? and 2) Do teachers and students perceive leadership dispositions in a similar way? What are the possible implications?

Data collection will involve administering to participants a questionnaire adapted from Ghamoushi et al. (2022) and Maroco et al. (2016) to assess their engagement levels. The interview questions will be adapted from the Educational Leadership Disposition Assessment tool (EDLDA) developed by Wilson et al. (2020). Quantitative data analysis will be conducted using SPSS Statistics 29.0, with the mean and standard deviation calculated to understand the level of engagement among teachers and students. Qualitative data collected from interviews will be analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes related to teacher and student engagement and the impact of leadership dispositions.

By identifying common traits and differences in how leadership dispositions influence teacher and student engagement, educational leaders can adapt their leadership styles to create environments that optimize engagement levels. This tailored approach has the potential to drive improvements in teacher retention, student performance, and overall educational outcomes. Ultimately, a focus on enhancing engagement through effective leadership practices can transform educational environments and lead to greater success for both teachers and students.