درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The quality of school leadership is one of the determining criteria in attracting teachers to schools and their decision to stay or leave the school. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the invitational leadership style in the public schools of Sanandaj city during the academic year of 2023 and to study the signs of invitational leadership in attracting teachers to schools. This study was implemented with a mixed-explanatory approach and data was collected from school teachers in two stages. In the first stage, a close-ended questionnaire adapted from Burns (2007) was implemented with the participation of 369 public school teachers in Sanandaj city. Based on the findings from the quantitative phase of the research, invitational school leaders were identified and qualitative data using the findings of the qualitative phase were collected. The data obtained from the results of the qualitative phase were collected using semi-structured interviews with 22 teachers. Data analysis was conducted by the three-step thematic analysis method of Attride-Stirling (2001) and MAXQDA 2020 software. Finally, eight global themes of teacher leadership, synergistic relationships, creating a family school, developing interpersonal relationships, helping teachers’ professional development, creating a supportive environment, improving strategies and creating an inviting school were identified as invitational leadership characteristics. The findings of this research, in addition to helping school principals in the attraction and retention of capable teachers, can help teachers achieve their capabilities and use them in line with the prosperity and growth of the school and apply creativity and innovation in teaching-learning process

Reflective practice is widely recognized as a cornerstone of teacher professional growth and effective classroom teaching. This study investigated its impact on Iranian EFL teachers’ development and their students’ learning outcomes, specifically focusing on engagement and academic achievement. A nine-month longitudinal mixed-methods study was conducted with 30 Iranian EFL teachers (aged 24–50) selected based on snow ball sampling technique and 300 students (mixed gender, aged 12–18, intermediate proficiency) taught by those teachers from Safir Language Academy in Tehran. Teachers engaged in structured reflective activities, including journaling, peer discussions, and guided reflection sessions. Data were collected through reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and student performance assessments, and were analyzed using thematic analysis and paired samples t -tests. The findings revealed that reflective practice enhanced teachers’ self-awareness and adaptability in instructional strategies, while students of reflective teachers demonstrated higher engagement and improved academic achievement. Barriers such as time constraints and limited institutional support were also identified. Overall, the study highlights the transformative potential of reflective practice in advancing teacher professional development and promoting more effective EFL classrooms in the Iranian context.