Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between ambidextrous leadership, which integrates empowering and directive leadership, and teacher burnout in the Chinese context, as well as to reveal the mediating roles of teacher autonomy and teacher self-efficacy from the resource perspective of the job demand-resources (JD-R) model. Design/methodology/approach A total of 814 Chinese teachers participated in this research. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method. Findings Ambidextrous leadership, teacher autonomy and teacher self-efficacy were negatively correlated with teacher burnout. Teacher autonomy and teacher self-efficacy served not only as independent mediators between ambidextrous leadership and teacher burnout but also played a chain-mediating role. Research limitations/implications School leaders should empower teachers with the autonomy to perform their tasks within a transparent and equitable accountability framework, provide high-quality professional development programs to enhance teachers' pedagogical knowledge and skills and foster a culture of trust and empowerment within schools. Originality/value This study is the first to explore the mechanism through which ambidextrous leadership influences teacher burnout, thereby deepening the understanding of their relationship and enriching the literature on ambidextrous leadership within educational settings.
Wang et al. (2026) studied this question.