Mediating Effect of Principal Leadership Styles on the Relationship Between Work Environment and Teacher Well-Being in Region XI: An Explanatory Sequential Design

Teacher well‑being has become a critical focus of contemporary educational research, particularly in contexts where workload pressures and organizational demands continue to intensify. This explanatory sequential mixed‑methods study investigates whether principal leadership styles mediate the relationship between work environment and teacher well‑being among public elementary school teachers in Region XI. The quantitative phase involved teachers selected through stratified random sampling, utilizing validated measures of work environment, leadership styles, and well‑being. The qualitative phase engaged selected teachers with extreme results in the quantitative phase through in‑depth interviews and focus group discussions to expand and contextualize statistical findings. Quantitative results indicated high levels of work environment and teacher well‑being, with democratic leadership perceived as highly practiced. Although significant correlations were identified, mediation analyses revealed that autocratic, democratic, and laissez‑faire leadership styles did not significantly mediate the work environment, well‑being relationship; the effect remained predominantly direct. Qualitative insights reinforced these findings, highlighting collegial support, collaborative culture, and workplace conditions as the core drivers of well‑being. The joint display showed connecting confirmation between the measured data and lived experiences regarding the status of the work environment and leadership styles. This consistency also appeared in the significant influence of the work environment and principal leadership styles on teacher well-being.