Examining the Effectiveness of Principal Empowerment Based on the Organizational Ambidexterity Model on Educational Performance and Adaptability of Primary Schools in Facing Curriculum Changes

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a principal empowerment program grounded in the organizational ambidexterity model on educational performance and adaptability of primary schools in facing curriculum changes. This study was applied in terms of purpose and quasi-experimental in terms of methodology, employing a pretest-posttest design with control and experimental groups. The statistical population comprised all principals of public primary schools across the country during the ۲۰۲۵-۲۰۲۶ academic year, from which ۳۶ schools from six provinces (Khuzestan, West Azerbaijan, Razavi Khorasan, Kurdistan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Tehran) were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (۱۸ schools each). Data were collected using four standardized questionnaires (Spreitzer Psychological Empowerment, Mumford et al. Organizational Ambidexterity, Educational Performance, and School Organizational Adaptability) at pretest and posttest stages and analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance in SPSS version ۲۸. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ۱۴ principals from the experimental group to enrich the data and analyzed using the Colaizzi method. The findings revealed that the empowerment program exerted a positive, significant, and strong effect on both dependent variables (educational performance: η² = ۰.۶۰۱, P < ۰.۰۰۱; adaptability: η² = ۰.۶۲۲, P < ۰.۰۰۱). The qualitative data further revealed three main themes—"transformation in attitudes toward change," "enhanced self-confidence in creative decision-making," and "development of professional collaboration networks"—that elucidate the mechanisms underlying the program's effectiveness. Therefore, principal empowerment based on the organizational ambidexterity model can serve as an effective intervention for improving educational quality and enhancing the adaptive capacity of primary schools in facing curriculum changes.

کلیدواژه ها:

Principal Empowerment ، Organizational Ambidexterity ، Educational Performance ، School Adaptability ، Curriculum Changes ، Primary Schools