Distributed leadership questionnaire – Greek adaptation: The validity and reliability study

Abstract

Although distributed leadership is a key framework for improving learning outcomes and schools, culturally adapted research instruments for measuring it are unavailable in many non-English-speaking educational contexts. This study developed and validated the Distributed Leadership Questionnaire – Greek Adaptation (DLQ-el) by adapting the International Baccalaureate Distributed Leadership Questionnaire (IBDLQ). Data from 215 public elementary schools in Greece were analyzed through a three-stage process: Pilot Study and Study 1 assessed validity and reliability via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis using maximum likelihood estimation, and Study 2 confirmed these properties. The final model includes thirty items and six factors (School Vision, Artifacts, Principal Leadership, School Organization, School Culture, and Teacher Leadership), explaining 69.4% of total variance. Most notably, the instructional program factor from the IBDLQ did not emerge independently, instead integrating into Artifacts and School Culture—a highly significant culturally-specific finding reflecting the centralized nature of the Greek educational system. Psychometric results confirmed strong internal consistency and good model fit in both datasets. The DLQ-el is valid and reliable and well-aligned with Greek schools’ structural and cultural realities. It offers a practical tool for school self-evaluation, leadership development programs, and educational policy design, addressing a critical research gap in Greek education.