The Combined Mediating Effects of Teacher Engagement and Transformational Leadership Attributes of School Heads on the Relationship Between Creativity and Teaching Performance of Teachers: Path Analysis

Teacher creativity has long been recognized as an important contributor to instructional quality; however, the mechanisms through which it influences teaching performance remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the combined mediating effects of teacher engagement and the transformational leadership attributes of school heads on the relationship between creativity and teaching performance among public elementary school teachers in Region XI, Philippines. Guided by Expectancy Theory, Self-Efficacy Theory, and Transformational Leadership Theory, the study employed a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive-correlational research design using double-mediation path analysis. Data were collected from 421 public elementary school teachers selected through stratified random sampling across the eleven school divisions of Region XI using validated and reliability-tested survey instruments. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis were utilized to analyze the data. The findings revealed that creativity, teacher engagement, transformational leadership attributes, and teaching performance were all manifested at very high levels. Significant positive relationships were found between creativity and teacher engagement, creativity and transformational leadership attributes, teacher engagement and teaching performance, and transformational leadership attributes and teaching performance. In contrast, creativity did not demonstrate a significant direct effect on teaching performance. The mediation analysis indicated that teacher engagement and transformational leadership attributes significantly explained the relationship between creativity and teaching performance, with teacher engagement showing the stronger mediating influence. These findings suggest that creativity contributes to instructional effectiveness primarily through supportive organizational and motivational processes rather than through direct influence. The study contributes to educational leadership and teacher development literature by providing empirical evidence that fostering teacher engagement alongside transformational leadership practices is essential for translating teachers' creative capacities into improved teaching performance. The findings offer practical implications for leadership development, teacher professional learning, and educational policy.