Investigating the Relationship Between School Principals' Paternalistic Leadership Behaviors and Teachers' Occupational Commitment

The present study investigates the relationship between principals’ paternalistic leadership behaviors and teachers’ occupational commitment. A correlational survey design was employed, and participants were selected through simple random sampling from schools located in the central districts of Adana province during the 2022–2023 academic year. Data were collected using the Paternalistic Leadership Behavior Scale and the Occupational Commitment Scale, and the analyses were conducted using SPSS 21 and AMOS. The findings revealed a positive but low correlation between school principals’ paternalistic leadership behaviors and teachers’ occupational commitment. Besides, no statistically significant differences were found in teachers’ perceptions of paternalistic leadership behaviors based on teaching experience, age, or school type. Conversely, significant differences were observed in occupational commitment scores across teaching experience, age, and school type. In light of these results, several recommendations are proposed. Motivational strategies should be implemented to strengthen occupational commitment, particularly among teachers with lower teaching experience. The occupational commitment of secondary and high school teachers may be improved through targeted in-service training programs and seminars. Moreover, considering that teachers perceive principals’ paternalistic leadership behaviors as low, school leaders are encouraged to incorporate such behaviors more consistently to enhance teachers’ sense of value and belonging within the school environment.