Charismatic Leadership Communication in Iranian English Language Institutes: Zooming in on Iranian EFL Teacher’s Perspectives

Charismatic leadership communication plays a crucial role in fostering effective educational environments and teacher motivation, particularly within language education contexts. This mixed-methods study investigated charismatic leadership communication as perceived by Iranian English teachers in language institutes.  In the quantitative phase, a purposive sample of ۱۰۲ teachers completed a ۲۲-item Charismatic Leadership Communication Scale (CLCS) assessing perceptions of supervisors’ task-oriented communication, enthusiasm, and empathy. Results showed that teachers generally valued enthusiastic, empathetic, and task-oriented supervisors. No significant differences were found between novice and experienced teachers regarding enthusiasm and task orientation; however, empathy scores approached significance, with experienced teachers perceiving higher empathy levels. Additionally, no significant differences emerged between teachers from the Iran Language Institute (ILI) and other private institutes in terms of these dimensions. In the qualitative phase, seven purposively selected teachers participated in semi-structured interviews, confirming these findings and emphasizing the importance of enthusiastic leadership, empathetic observation, and flexibility in supervisory communication. Teachers raised concerns about limited TEFL expertise, rigid task-oriented practices, and unannounced evaluations causing stress. The findings highlight the need for leadership development programs in institutes that emphasize empathy, enthusiasm, and flexible, supportive communication practices. These can enhance teacher motivation, alleviate classroom anxiety, and foster collaborative educational culture.

کلیدواژه ها:

Charismatic Supervisors ، EFL teachers ، English Language Institutes ، Experienced Teachers ، leaders ، novice teachers