BECE. Newsletter 

Vol.19, No.1, 2025, BECE 1927 

 

 

 

 

The Relationship between Principal Authentic Lead-

ership and Teacher Knowledge Sharing: An Empiri-

cal Analysis Based on the Self-Determination Theory 

By Mao, Y., Zhang, W., & Guan, D. 
Correspondence to: Wanying Zhang, Beijing Normal University, China. E-mail: 

wanyingbnu@163.com  

EACHER knowledge sharing is a process in which teachers collaborate 

to boost their understanding and construction of knowledge by integrat-

ing fragmentary knowledge owned by individuals into a shared knowledge 

system. It helps promote common development in teachers as well as en-

hance the school’s quality of knowledge base as an educational community. 

Nevertheless, the teacher may tend to keep their knowledge private to main-

tain their professional distinctiveness. Also, educational and instructional ex-

pertise is often interwoven into the education process, and its implicit nature 

is an impediment to its sharing. Hence, teacher knowledge sharing has be-

come a pronounced issue in modern school management. Recent research in 

this area reveals that the principal leadership style has a significant impact on 

the teachers’ knowledge sharing behavior. This study investigates the rela-

tionship between principal authentic leadership and teacher knowledge shar-

ing, as well as its influencing factors, from the perspective of the self-

determination theory. 

Research Findings: 

• Principal authentic leadership can positively predict teacher 

knowledge sharing. This leadership style ensures the security of the 

behavior of publicly sharing information in teachers and prompts 

their realization of the significance of mutual support. 

• The effect of principal authentic leadership on teacher knowledge 

sharing is moderated by the teacher’s perception of insider status. 

Stronger perceptions of insider status elicit positive behaviors in 

teachers; enhanced teacher perceptions of organizational member-

ship lead to significant elevation of the knowledge sharing inten-

tion in them. 

• Social-emotional skills of teachers mediate the relationship be-

tween principal authentic leadership and teacher knowledge shar-

ing. Principal authentic leadership is effective in improving the so-

cial-emotional skills of teachers, driving them to showcase their 

value by sharing information with co-workers. 

T 

mailto:wanyingbnu@163.com


 

Vol.19, No.1, 2025, BECE 1928 

The authors of the study proposed the following suggests: (i) Enhance 

the authentic leadership capability of school principals to ensure the teachers’ 

rights to voice their opinions; (ii) foster the teachers’ perceptions of insider 

status, bolster their social-emotional skills, and promote their identification 

with the school’s mission and values; (iii) Increase the teachers’ agency in 

the school’s development and improve their job satisfaction to instigate their 

active engagement in knowledge sharing. 

 
Source: Modern Education Management, 2024; 2024(7):1-12.