This study explored the empathetic disposition, stewardship as principals’ leadership practices and teachers’ commitment in Delta State mission schools. It was guided by three research questions and hypotheses respectively. The study utilized an ex-post-facto research design of the correlational method. The population consists of 906 teachers and 102 principals in Delta State mission schools, from which a sample of 204 respondents were selected through purposive sampling method. Data was collected using two researcher-designed questionnaires: The Principals’ Empathetic Disposition and Stewardship Practices Questionnaire (PEDSPQ) and the Teachers Commitment Questionnaire (TCQ). The face and content validity of the instruments was established through expert review. Pilot testing assessed the reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. In the pilot study, the PEDSPQ demonstrated a reliability coefficient of 0.79 and the TCQ had a reliability coefficient of 0.84. Data collected were analysed using coefficient of determination, Pearson’s r correlation and multiple regression to answer research questions and hypotheses testing at a 0.05 level of significance. Finding revealed that principals’ empathetic disposition, stewardship practices were significantly related to teachers’ commitment. It was recommended that Mission schools leaders should prioritize the development of emotional intelligence skills among principals. Providing training and workshops focused on empathy, active listening, and understanding others’ perspectives can enhance principals’ ability to connect with and support their teachers effectively among other.
Keywords: Delta State, empathetic disposition, mission schools, principal leadership practices, stewardship, teachers’ commitment
