Does school power distance matter for the effectiveness of professional learning communities in China? A multilevel moderated mediation analysis

Drawing upon social cognitive theory, we theorize teacher self-efficacy as a motivational explanation for the relationship between professional learning communities (PLCs) and teacher work engagement, and further posit school power distance as a boundary condition for this mechanism. With a sample of 3417 teachers in 61 schools in China, we tested the multilevel moderated mediation model, and the results showed an indirect effect of PLCs on teacher work engagement via teacher self-efficacy. Moreover, the effectiveness of PLCs was fortified in schools with low power distance. The theoretical and practical implications for PLCs research are finally discussed.