The Protective Role of School Leadership Against Principal Workload Stress: A Cross-National Study in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia

This study examines whether school leadership can help reduce workload stress among principals in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, where current evidence is limited. Using TALIS 2018 data from 780 principals (Brazil n = 354; Chile n = 164; Colombia n = 262), we conducted weighted multiple linear regressions using standardized variables. Leadership showed a significant negative association with stress, suggesting a modest protective role. The strongest predictors were contextual stressors: school violence and staff shortages for students with special educational needs, both of which demonstrated substantially larger effects than leadership. Resource allocation ratios and principal gender were not significant factors. Country-specific analyses indicated leadership was protective in Brazil and Colombia but not in Chile, highlighting the importance of contextual factors. The results support the job demands-resources framework, indicating that leadership functions as a resource that mitigates stress, although its impact is less substantial than that of adverse school conditions. Policy implications emphasize the need for multilevel strategies that combine leadership development with targeted improvements in organizational conditions, such as safety and staffing for special educational needs. Strengthening leadership alone is unlikely to offset high demands; coordinated, context-sensitive interventions are essential across these systems.