Transformational leadership and instructional leadership.

Leadership practices that foster teacher job satisfaction are critical in primary education because teachers are directly responsible for student outcomes and school culture. When teachers feel valued, supported, and empowered, they are more likely to remain motivated, engaged, and committed to their work. Here are some key leadership practices:

Providing Professional Development and Growth Opportunities

Providing Support and Resources

Empowering Teachers and Encouraging Autonomy

Effective CommunicationRecognition and Appreciation

Positive School Culture

Fairness and Equity

Dear Martinette Paula King

from an institutional theory perspective, the leadership practices of principals in primary schools that encourage teacher job satisfaction can be understood as responses to institutional pressures shaping the educational environment. Principals operate within frameworks influenced by coercive pressures (e.g., government mandates and policies on teacher performance), normative pressures (e.g., professional standards and training programs), and mimetic pressures (e.g., emulation of practices in high-performing schools).

Effective leadership practices promoting teacher job satisfaction often align with these pressures while addressing organizational needs. For example, principals fostering collaborative cultures and providing professional development opportunities respond to normative expectations of creating a supportive work environment.

Similarly, implementing transparent communication and shared decision-making practices aligns with coercive requirements for accountability and compliance with educational standards.

Mimetic influences also shape leadership practices. For instance, adopting mentoring programs or teacher recognition systems observed in successful schools enhances teacher morale and aligns with institutional expectations for innovation and professional growth. These practices contribute to teacher satisfaction by meeting both organizational goals and individual professional needs, reinforcing legitimacy and cohesion within the school environment.

In summary, principals' leadership practices that support teacher job satisfaction are shaped by institutional pressures and include fostering collaboration, professional development, transparent communication, and recognition systems, which align organizational strategies with broader institutional norms and expectations.

• DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160.
• Scott, W. R. (2001). Institutions and organizations: Ideas, interests, and identities. Sage Publications.

in Malaysia most of the primary school administrators practise transformational and instructional leadership.

strategic leadership usually applied by secondary school leaders.