Transformational Leadership, School Climate, and Organizational Commitment as Determinants of Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: A Literature Review

Abstract

Teachers’ job satisfaction is a central issue in educational management due to its strong association with teacher retention, organizational commitment, and instructional quality. Previous studies indicate that job satisfaction is influenced not only by individual characteristics but also by leadership style, school climate, and organizational commitment. This article aims to review and synthesize empirical literature on the relationships among transformational leadership, school climate, organizational commitment, and teachers’ job satisfaction. Using a literature review approach, this study analyzes peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2025. The findings reveal that transformational leadership positively affects teachers’ job satisfaction both directly and indirectly through organizational commitment. School climate emerges as a consistent and strong predictor of job satisfaction, particularly in fostering psychological safety and professional well-being. Organizational commitment especially affective commitment plays a mediating role in strengthening the influence of leadership and school climate on job satisfaction. However, inconsistencies across studies indicate the importance of contextual factors, particularly in private primary schools. This review provides a conceptual synthesis to support future empirical research in educational leadership.