The Effects of Teacher Empowerment on Teacher Commitment and Student Achievement

The present study examined the effect of teacher empowerment on teachers’ commitment and student achievement. A sample of 356 teachers at Payam-e-Noor University, Ilam branch completed two questionnaires, i.e., School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES) developed by Short and Rinehart (1992) and Organization Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) developed by Mowday et al.’s (1979). The results of structural equation modeling indicated the six dimensions of decision making, professional growth, status, self-efficacy, autonomy, and impact played a significant role in teacher commitment and student achievement. Teacher empowerment was found to be important in classroom and instructional decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness and improve student performance. These outcomes may be beneficial for policy-makers in directing teachers to a high level of competency, high status and self-esteem and help them to achieve professional growth. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n4p649