Teachers intent to leave and collective teachers' efficacy: The role of transformational leadership and job autonomy

The rising trend of teachers' intent to leave poses a threat to global education systems, while collective teacher efficacy fosters collaboration and school improvement. This study applies the Job Demands–Resources model to examine whether job autonomy mediates the relationships between transformational leadership and both teachers' intent to leave and collective teacher efficacy, within Arab schools in Israel. Data from 324 teachers across 62 randomly selected schools were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results indicated that transformational leadership was positively associated with collective teacher efficacy and negatively associated with teachers’ intent to leave. Job autonomy functioned as a partial mediator in the relationship with collective teacher efficacy; however, its mediating role in relation to intent to leave was not supported. Implications highlight the importance of leadership practices that strengthen teacher retention and collective capacity in centralized and evolving educational systems.