The Impact of Principals’ Empathy And Social Skills on Teachers’ Work Engagement

Abstract

This research study investigated the relationship between school principals' interpersonal skills of empathy and social skills and the work engagement of their teachers. A sample of 18 principals and 48 teachers was taken from the district Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Descriptive analyses revealed that principals demonstrated high levels of both empathy (M = 5.60, SD = 0.26) and social skills (M = 5.55, SD = 0.37) on a 7-point scale. Teachers similarly reported high and uniform levels of work engagement (M = 5.42, SD = 0.22). Correlational analysis identified statistically significant, positive relationships between both principals’ empathy (r = .375, p = .002) and social skills (r = .360, p = .017) and teachers’ work engagement. A subsequent regression analysis confirmed that together, these two interpersonal competencies accounted for a significant but modest portion (14.4%) of the variance in teachers’ work engagement scores (R = .379, R² = .144). The study concludes that principals' empathy and social skills are positively associated with teachers’ work engagement and represent a valuable focus for leadership development, they operate within a broader ecosystem of influences. Recommendations for future research include employing longitudinal and multi-method designs, exploring mediating mechanisms, and integrating a wider range of predictive variables into comprehensive models.

Keywords: Principals’ Empathy, Social Skills of School Leaders, Teachers’ Work Engagement, Educational Leadership, School Organizational Climate