Boosting Classroom Practices Through Principal Feedback: The Mediating Roles of Teacher Professional Learning and Teacher Self-Efficacy

Abstract

This study conceptualised principal feedback as a motivational and informational cue that shapes teachers' beliefs about their capabilities and their engagement in ongoing learning. The aim was to develop a more integrated understanding of how principal feedback influences teachers' instructional practices by examining the mediating roles of teacher self-efficacy and teacher professional learning. Data were collected from 408 K-12 teachers in Türkiye, and the proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings indicate that principal feedback is positively associated with teacher self-efficacy and teacher professional learning, both of which are in turn directly linked to teachers' instructional practices. Furthermore, the analyses revealed partial mediation effects, suggesting that teacher self-efficacy and teacher professional learning act as key psychological and behavioural mechanisms through which principal feedback influences instructional practices. These results suggest that by fostering feedback-rich school environments, policymakers and school leaders can promote both teacher development and instructional improvement.