Supporting the professional learning of teachers in China: Does principal leadership make a difference?

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of learning-centered leadership on teacher professional learning in mainland China. The research tested a model of leadership effects on teacher learning using two mediators, teacher trust and teacher agency.Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze survey data collected from 1259 teachers in 41 primary and secondary schools in three different Chinese provinces. The results affirmed the efficacy of a partial mediation model with learning-centered leadership, teacher trust and teacher agency yielding significant small to moderate effects on the professional learning of teachers.