Professional Culture as a Bridge: Examining Community Support, Diversity and School Leadership in Collegial Relationships Between Social Studies Teachers

This study examines how school leadership, diversity and community support shape collegial relationships between social studies teachers in Delta State, Nigeria, with professional culture as a mediating factor. Drawing on data from 500 teachers across public, private and faith-based schools, the study employs a correlational design and mediation analysis to reveal three key findings: (1) school leadership is the strongest predictor of collegiality, both directly and indirectly through professional culture; (2) diversity enhances collegial relationships primarily by foster- ing an inclusive professional culture; and (3) community support plays a modest, indirect role. The study’s novel contribution lies in demonstrating how Nigeria’s unique educational context – marked by resource constraints and ethnolinguistic diversity – amplifies the mediating role of professional culture. Practically, the findings suggest that interventions targeting transformational leadership and inclusive practices can significantly strengthen teacher collaboration, even in resource-limited settings. For policymakers, the results underscore the need to prioritise leadership development and cultural competency training in order to improve educational outcomes. By bridging organisational and interpersonal factors, the research offers a framework for enhancing collegiality in similar multicultural education systems.