This study aims to examine the influence of the principal's distributive leadership on the effectiveness of teaching in Malaysian Sports Schools based on teachers' perceptions. This study uses a quantitative survey design involving a total of 187 teachers as respondents. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics and inferential analysis that included Pearson's correlation and multiple regression. The findings of the study show that the principal's level of distributive leadership practices and teaching effectiveness are at a high level. Correlation analysis found that there is a significant and moderate positive relationship between the principal's distributive leadership and teaching effectiveness. Multiple regression analysis showed that teacher capacity development and collaborative communication were significant predictors of teaching effectiveness, while distribution of decision-making power and vision sharing did not show significant influence when other variables were controlled. The implications of this study assert that distributive leadership practices that focus on professional and collaborative development can improve teaching effectiveness in a high-intensity school context. Further studies are suggested to explore the role of mediating variables as well as use a mixed methods approach to gain a deeper understanding.
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