Mediating Role of School Climate in The Relationship Between Secondary School Heads’ Instructional Supervisory Practices and Teachers’ Performance

Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of school climate in the relationship between secondary school heads' instructional supervisory practices and teachers' performance in District Bhakkar. The major objectives were to determine the instructional supervisory practices of male and female heads, the performance level of male and female teachers, and the level of school climate at the secondary level, and to examine the relationships among heads' supervisory practices, school climate, and teachers' performance, along with the mediating role of school climate in this relationship. The population of the study consisted of all government secondary school heads and teachers working in public secondary schools of District Bhakkar. Using a stratified random sampling technique, a total sample of 230 respondents was drawn, comprising 30 heads and 200 teachers from schools in Bhakkar city and Darya Khan tehsils. A quantitative correlational survey design was adopted, and data were collected through a self-developed questionnaire covering three factors across 30 items, rated on a five-point Likert scale, and analyzed using SPSS through descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, Pearson correlation, and mediation analysis. The findings revealed that female heads demonstrated stronger instructional supervisory practices and female teachers reported better performance and a more positive perception of school climate compared to their male counterparts. Instructional supervisory practices were found to be strongly and significantly related to both teachers' performance and school climate, and school climate was, in turn, strongly related to teachers' performance. The mediation analysis confirmed that school climate partially mediates the relationship between heads' instructional supervisory practices and teachers' performance, meaning supervision improves performance both directly and through its effect on school climate. Based on these findings, it is recommended that secondary school heads be provided with structured training in collaborative, trust-based instructional supervision alongside deliberate strategies for building a positive, open, and supportive school climate.