The Effect of School Administrators’ Use of Motivational Language on Teachers’ Organizational Support Perceptions and Work Engagement

Abstract

This study examines the effect of school administrators’ motivational language use on teachers’ perceptions of organizational support and work engagement. The study sample included 394 teachers who were selected using a disproportionate cluster sampling method from primary schools in Gaziantep. The relationships between the variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated direct positive relations among the study variables and a partial mediating role of perceived organizational support between motivational language and work engagement. Motivational language used by school administrators significantly predicts teachers’ work engagement directly and through perceived organizational support. While the use of motivational language enables teachers to engage more with their work; at the same time, they display more work engagement behaviors with increased perceptions of organizational support. Therefore, school administrators should be encouraged to use motivational language to provide support and improve teacher engagement. Further research could focus on identifying schools where motivational language use and organizational support are not occurring at the desired levels. In this way, with the measures and activities to be taken, teachers’ engagement with their work can be increased, and their active participation in school development can be ensured.