The Role of Responsible Leadership in Teacher Resilience and Wellbeing in Earthquake-Affected and Non-Affected Regions

Purpose: Due to the significant global crises over the past decade, understanding leadership's role in reducing the pernicious impact of crises has recently garnered substantial attention. This study examines the role of school leaders in enhancing teachers’ psychosocial capacity following a devastating earthquake that struck the southern regions of Türkiye in 2023. It compares the earthquake-affected and non-affected regions in terms of the role of responsible leadership in teacher resilience and wellbeing. Method: The data were collected from 1,133 teachers working in earthquake-affected and non-affected areas. A t-test analysis was conducted to examine differences in reported leadership, resilience and wellbeing, followed by a multigroup structural equation modeling analysis and Wald test to examine differences between the two regions in terms of the relationships between responsible leadership and resilience and wellbeing. Findings: The study showed that teachers in earthquake-affected regions reported significantly lower levels of resilience and wellbeing. Responsible leadership was positively related to teacher resilience and wellbeing, with resilience also mediating the relationship between leadership and wellbeing. The multigroup analysis revealed that the relationship between responsible leadership and teacher resilience, as well as the indirect relationship between responsible leadership and teacher wellbeing mediated by teacher resilience, was significantly stronger in earthquake-affected regions. Conclusion: Responsible school leadership could be especially important in turbulent times. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on leadership in times of crisis, providing insights for educational policymakers and school leaders to support educators in disaster-affected contexts.