What Shapes Teachers’ Emphasis on Students’ Political Will? The Role of Implicit Leadership Theories, Implicit Followership Theories, and Seniority

This study examined how teachers’ implicit perceptions shape the importance they attribute to students’ political will. Drawing on implicit leadership theory (ILT) and implicit followership theory (IFT), we tested whether teachers’ cognitive schemas regarding leadership and student characteristics were associated with the perceived importance of political will, while examining teacher seniority as a moderator. Survey data were collected from 250 Israeli teachers. The findings indicated that teachers who attributed greater importance to anti-prototypical leadership and followership characteristics were more likely to emphasize political will among students. The study highlights the role of cognitive schemas and professional experience in shaping educational judgments.