Exploring the relationship between principal mentoring, teacher assessment, and principal engagement

The role of school principals is complex and challenging concerning mentoring and engaging teachers and other stakeholders. This study investigates the relationship between principal mentoring (PM) and principal engagement (PE) in schools and assesses the mediating influence of teacher assessment (TA). Data was collected from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) Principal Questionnaire (2018), with respondents including principals and members of school management teams from both public and private schools. Data used for this research is accessible in the public domain. Hypotheses were tested using Cronbach alpha, KMO Bartlett test, and the Andrew Hayes model 4. Results show a significant positive relationship between principal mentoring and teacher assessment, teacher assessment and principal engagement, and the mediating effect of teacher assessment on the relationship between principal mentoring and principal engagement. These findings have important practical implications for school administrations and educators, highlighting the importance of supporting principal mentoring initiatives to promote engagement of schools’ stakeholders including teachers, staff, students, and parents. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.