A meta-synthesis on the impact of leadership behaviors on teachers’ organizational commitment in educational institutions: a contextual and individual-level analysis

This meta-synthesis examines the relationship between educational leadership behaviors and teachers’ organizational commitment, focusing on the contextual and individual factors that shape this association. The study synthesizes findings from 19 qualitative studies published between 2020 and 2025 and retrieved from major international databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and ProQuest. A two-stage analytical process involving thematic analysis and code clustering was employed to identify recurring patterns across studies. The findings indicate that emotionally intelligent leadership, distributed decision-making, and trust-based communication are key factors associated with stronger affective and normative commitment among teachers. In contrast, micromanagement, bureaucratic rigidity, and limited participation in decision-making tend to weaken professional engagement. The analysis also highlights the importance of contextual conditions, such as institutional culture, accountability demands, and socio-political environments, in shaping the leadership–commitment relationship. Teacher characteristics, particularly career stage and perceived autonomy, further influence these effects. The study contributes to the literature by proposing a multidimensional framework that integrates leadership behaviors with organizational and contextual dynamics affecting teacher commitment. The findings emphasize the importance of context-sensitive leadership approaches and offer implications for policy development, leadership preparation programs, and future research in educational leadership.