The effect of distributed leadership on teacher collaboration in Chinese special school: the chain mediation of teacher-perceived organizational support and collective efficacy

This study investigated the influence of distributed leadership on teacher collaboration and examined the mediating roles of teacher-perceived organizational support and collective efficacy in the special schools in China. A total of 200 special education teachers from five provinces (Hunan, Shanghai, Guangdong, Shandong, and Henan) participated in an online survey using validated instruments to assess distributed leadership, teacher collaboration, perceived organizational support, and collective efficacy. Structural equation modelling and bootstrapping analyses revealed that distributed leadership had a significant positive direct effect on teacher collaboration. While perceived organizational support did not independently mediate this relationship, it contributed to a significant chain mediation effect: distributed leadership enhanced perceived organizational support, which in turn strengthened collective efficacy, ultimately promoting teacher collaboration. These findings underscore the importance of distributed leadership in fostering collaborative practices in special education settings, highlighting the need for school leaders to cultivate both supportive organizational climates and teachers’ collective efficacy.