Integrating Social Justice Leadership with Instructional Leadership in Turkish Schools: Does it Make a Difference for the School Culture and Student Achievement?

This article investigates how the integration of instructional leadership and social justice leadership influences collective teacher culture and student achievement in 40 middle schools in a socioeconomically disadvantaged region of Türkiye. Using quantitative data from over 4,300 students and 300 teachers, the study finds that instructional leadership alone does not directly predict student achievement; however, when moderated by social justice leadership, its impact becomes significant. Collective teacher culture—characterized by shared values, collaboration, and collective efficacy—mediates the relationship between instructional leadership and student outcomes, with stronger effects observed in schools exhibiting higher levels of social justice leadership. The findings suggest that principal preparation and policy should support the combined application of instructional and social justice leadership to foster equitable and effective educational environments, particularly in disadvantaged contexts.