How distributed leadership shapes change fatigue in schools: The role of teacher leadership and perceptions of values and policies influence

Educational systems are increasingly characterized by sustained and overlapping reform initiatives. While distributed leadership is often promoted as a strategy to enhance participation and resilience during change, empirical evidence on its effects remains limited. This study examines how distributed leadership shapes change fatigue in schools through the mediating roles of teacher leadership and teachers’ perceptions of value and policy influence. Using nationally representative data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024, the study analyzes responses from 3281 teachers in Kosovo. Structural equation modeling with R and the Weighted Least Squares Mean and Variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator was employed to test direct, indirect, and serial mediation pathways. Distributed leadership promotes teacher leadership and strengthens perceptions of value and policy influence but does not directly reduce change fatigue. Although teacher leadership increases fatigue, perceptions of value and policy influence offset this strain through a significant indirect pathway. Importantly, a significant serial indirect effect indicates that distributed leadership can ultimately reduce change fatigue when expanded leadership roles foster teachers’ sense of values and policy influence recognition. These results highlight distributed leadership as a context-dependent practice whose impact on teachers depends on how leadership responsibilities are supported, recognized, and embedded within change processes.