Introduction and Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between managers’ ethical leadership style and teachers’ responsibility, with work engagement as a mediating variable, among teachers in schools of Khesht and Kenar Takhte.
Methodology: The study was applied in purpose and descriptive-correlational in method. The population consisted of 410 teachers employed in Khesht and Kenar Takhte schools during the 2025–2026 academic year. Based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, 225 teachers were selected through stratified random sampling from 24 schools. Data were collected using the Teacher Responsibility Scale of Lauermann and Karabenick (2013), Schaufeli’s Work Engagement Scale (2013), and the Ethical Leadership Scale of Brown, Treviño, and Harrison (2005). Content validity was confirmed by experts. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were .855 for ethical leadership, .849 for work engagement, and .813 for teacher responsibility. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM in SPSS and SmartPLS 4.
Findings: Ethical leadership was positively and significantly related to teacher responsibility (β=.435, t=14.083, p<.001) and to work engagement (β=.382, t=3.845, p<.001). Work engagement was positively and significantly related to teacher responsibility (β=.746, t=22.079, p<.001). The indirect effect of ethical leadership on teacher responsibility through work engagement was also positive and significant (β=.285, t=3.800, p=.001), confirming the mediating role of work engagement.
Conclusion: Ethical leadership is associated with greater teacher responsibility both directly and indirectly through work engagement. Strengthening ethical leadership behaviors and creating conditions that enhance teachers’ energy, dedication, and involvement in their work may therefore contribute to greater professional responsibility.