World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. V, Issue XI (November 2025), pp.276-285

Relational Leadership Strategies as a Catalyst for Interprofessional Collaboration Among Teachers in Nanchang City, China  

WANGJING JING

PhD in Educational Leadership,EAC,Manila

Abstract 

This study investigates the nexus between school leaders’ relational leadership strategies and teachers’ engagement in interprofessional collaboration (IPC) at a university in Nanchang City, China. Employing a descriptive-correlational research design, data were collected from 200 participating teachers through a structured questionnaire, which assessed seven dimensions of relational leadership—collaborative structures, trust and reciprocity, dialogic communication, contextual responsiveness, ethics and care, shared purpose, and capacity for continual learning and adaptation—as well as three core dimensions of IPC: role clarity, team-building and synergy, and reflective practice. The findings reveal that teachers generally perceive school leaders as adopting strategic and inclusive leadership approaches, with particular strengths in vision-sharing and communication. However, collaborative mechanisms and ethical care emerged as areas warranting targeted improvement. Teachers demonstrated high levels of IPC engagement, with reflective practice distinguished as a prominent strength. Statistically significant differences in leadership perceptions were observed across age and academic position, particularly in the domains of trust, ethics, and learning adaptability. Correlation analysis identified specific meaningful associations: dialogic communication exhibited a positive correlation with role clarity, while contextual responsiveness correlated positively with reflective practice. Notably, no significant relationship was detected between overall relational leadership scores and holistic IPC engagement. This study underscores the imperative of context-sensitive and differentiated leadership paradigms to cultivate a campus culture characterized by collaboration, ethical care, and collective growth within higher education institutions. 

DOI https://doi.org/10.65494/pinagpalapublishing.5