Structural Relationships of Teachers’ Professional Development and Managerial Support with Teaching Quality: The Mediating Role of Attitudes Toward the Curriculum

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

10.48310/itt.2026.21951.1273

Abstract

Background and Objectives: This study investigated the structural relationships between teachers' professional development and managerial support with teaching quality, examining the mediating role of attitudes toward the curriculum.

Methods: Following the positivist paradigm, this quantitative applied research employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The population included all lower secondary teachers in Tabriz during 2024–2025 (N = 1,680). Using Cochran's formula, 320 teachers were selected via convenience sampling. Data were collected using standard questionnaires: Teaching Quality (Mahmoudi et al.), Professional Development (New Jersey Dept. of Education), Principal Support (Honingh & Hooge), and Curriculum Attitude (Keshavarzadeh). Content validity, construct validity (convergent and discriminant via HTMT), and reliability (Cronbach's alpha and Composite Reliability) were rigorously confirmed. Data were analyzed using variance-based SEM with SPSS and SmartPLS.

Findings: Results showed that professional development and managerial support positively and significantly predicted both teaching quality and attitudes toward the curriculum. Additionally, curriculum attitude significantly predicted teaching quality. The Sobel test and VAF statistic confirmed that curriculum attitude partially mediated the relationships between professional development, managerial support, and teaching quality.

Conclusion: Professional development and managerial support are key predictors of teaching quality. However, a positive attitude toward the curriculum acts as a vital catalyst strengthening these relationships. Thus, simultaneous attention to professional, managerial, and attitudinal dimensions in educational policy is essential for sustainable improvement in classroom instruction.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Theory and Practice in Teachers Education

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 16 September 2026

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