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Although the construct of teacher engagement is acknowledged as important for positive student and teacher outcomes, evidence about its determinants is still scarce. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between transformational leadership, dimensions of teacher academic optimism (i.e., self-efficacy, teacher trust in parents and students, and academic emphasis), and teacher engagement. Data obtained from 420 primary and lower secondary school Serbian teachers were analyzed by utilizing structural equation modeling with latent variables. The results revealed that transformational leadership has positive effects on all dimensions of teacher academic optimism. Transformational leadership was directly associated with teacher engagement, although this relationship was not strong. Also, transformational leadership was linked to teacher engagement indirectly, via teachers’ trust in parents and students and academic emphasis. The present study suggests that transformational leadership plays an important role in enhancing teacher engagement. Therefore, by strengthening transformational leadership in the school, the engagement of teachers is likely to be improved.

School connectedness is a significant construct that has various positive outcomes for students, so it is important to investigate its determinants. Students’ connectedness to school depends on their interaction with teachers. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers’ support and students’ perceptions of school connectedness. Participants were 325 students from 29 high school classes. Data were collected using research tools for assessing students’ perceptions of teachers’ support, homeroom teachers’ support, and school connectedness. Multilevel modeling was applied, since students were nested within classrooms. The obtained results revealed that, after controlling the effects of gender and type of school, the teacher’s support significantly predicted the students’ connectedness to school at the individual (student) level. In addition, class-level homeroom teacher’s support was positively associated with students’ school connectedness at the class level. The relation between teachers’ support and students’ school connectedness did not significantly vary across classes. This study indicates that teachers’ support plays an important role in fostering students’ connectedness to school. Implications of this study are relevant for teachers’ initial education and professional development.

Given that teacher self-efficacy has been recognized as a significant predictor of desirable outcomes at the student as well as at the teacher level, it is necessary to address the lack of a robust measure of this construct in Serbia. The present study examined the reliability, factor structure, and criterion validity of the 12-item Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) among a sample of 452 Serbian teachers. Internal consistency estimates for scores on the TSES varied from .77 to .88. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that a three-factor model of the TSES yielded the best fit to data. Criterion validity of the TSES was supported by relationships of all its subscales with teacher job satisfaction. Primary school classroom teachers reported significantly higher self-efficacy for student engagement compared to secondary and high school teachers. No significant differences were found with gender and years of teaching experience. Our results confirm that the TSES is a reliable and valid instrument, and thus potentially useful for research within the Serbian cultural context. Both areas for future research and practical implications are discussed. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 179037: The Significance of Participation in Social Networks for Adjustment to Euro-integrational Processes]