Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators' Wellbeing

Anat Barth; Sigalit Tsemach

doi:10.30828/real.1676795

Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators' Wellbeing

Abstract

Early childhood educators (ECE) have a major role in shaping children's development; their occupational wellbeing is an important issue for themselves and for their students. ECEs in Israel work in educational units that are not part of a school setting, an almost singular situation worldwide. They have little immediate professional support available to them, making their superintendents a main source of support. The superintendents' heavy workloads and often distant geographical locations challenge their leadership effectivity. In this study, 504 Israeli ECEs were surveyed through an online quantitative questionnaire. Hierarchical regression tests revealed that responders' psychological empowerment mediates the connection between ECE superintendents' transformational leadership and ECEs' burnout fully, and this model explains 12% of burnout. The tests also revealed that psychological empowerment mediates the connection between superintendents' transformational leadership and ECEs' job satisfaction, but only partially; the model explains 29% of job satisfaction. The current study suggests that ECEs' sense of psychological empowerment is a mediator between superintendent's transformational leadership and ECE's wellbeing, i.e., low burnout and high job satisfaction. This research illuminates the role of ECE superintendents' leadership, which has so far received little academic attention, and highlights the importance of the mechanism by which superintendents' leadership improves ECEs' wellbeing.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Michlala Jerusalem

Ethical Statement

All ethical guidlines were kept

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Leadership in Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Anat Barth ^*
0000-0003-3229-2266
Israel

Sigalit Tsemach
0000-0002-7113-9734
Israel

Publication Date

March 30, 2026

Submission Date

April 15, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 8, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1676795

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA75HL39NP

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Barth, A., & Tsemach, S. (2026). Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 11(1), 162-196. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1676795

AMA

1.Barth A, Tsemach S. Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing. REAL. 2026;11(1):162-196. doi:10.30828/real.1676795

Chicago

Barth, Anat, and Sigalit Tsemach. 2026. “Psychological Empowerment As a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11 (1): 162-96. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1676795.

EndNote

Barth A, Tsemach S (March 1, 2026) Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11 1 162–196.

IEEE

[1]A. Barth and S. Tsemach, “Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing”, REAL, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 162–196, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.30828/real.1676795.

ISNAD

Barth, Anat - Tsemach, Sigalit. “Psychological Empowerment As a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11/1 (March 1, 2026): 162-196. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1676795.

JAMA

1.Barth A, Tsemach S. Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing. REAL. 2026;11:162–196.

MLA

Barth, Anat, and Sigalit Tsemach. “Psychological Empowerment As a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, vol. 11, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 162-96, doi:10.30828/real.1676795.

Vancouver

1.Anat Barth, Sigalit Tsemach. Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator Between Superintendents’ Transformational Leadership and Educators’ Wellbeing. REAL. 2026 Mar. 1;11(1):162-96. doi:10.30828/real.1676795