The Relationships Between Distributed Leadership, Teacher Motivation, and Work Engagement: A Qualitative Study

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of distributed leadership practices on teacher motivation and job engagement, based on teachers' perspectives. Method: A phenomenological design was used in the research. The study group consisted of 24 teachers selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using content analysis. Participant confirmation, detailed description, and inter-coder agreement (87%) strategies were used for validity and reliability. Findings: Teachers experience distributed leadership through the dimensions of participation in decision-making processes (f=10), sharing of leadership (f=8), and collaboration (f=8). In the motivation theme, intrinsic motivation (f=12), feeling valued (f=9), and being appreciated (f=7) stood out. In the job engagement theme, the dimensions of commitment to work (f=14), energy and effort (f=11), and concentration on work (f=6) were determined. Teachers stated that participation in decision-making processes made them feel responsible and valued, and that this increased their motivation and job engagement levels. Conclusion and Recommendations: Distributed leadership practices positively impact teacher motivation and job engagement. It is recommended that school administrators actively involve teachers in decision-making processes, share leadership roles, and foster a collaborative school culture.