HomeInternational Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research and Innovationvol. 3 no. 3 (2025)

Leadership Style of School Administrators and Teachers’ Performance

Mary Jean R. Ecle

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Understanding the impact of school administrators’ leadership styles on teachers is essential for enhancing overall school performance. This study explored the leadership approaches within a school district and examined their perceived influence on teaching practices. Findings reveal that while the administrator population is relatively young and places a strong emphasis on professional development, there remains significant room for growth. Both administrators and teachers generally view the leadership climate as positive; however, discrepancies exist—particularly in the areas of collaboration and teacher involvement in decision-making. The study identified a prevailing preference for clear and structured leadership, yet it also highlights the need to incorporate leadership elements that empower teachers and foster innovation. Teachers demonstrate strength in core instructional areas but would benefit from further support in interdisciplinary integration and collaborative teaching strategies. Enhancing communication with parents regarding student progress also emerged as an area for improvement. To address these gaps, the study recommends promoting a more collaborative and innovative school culture, alongside targeted professional development initiatives for both administrators and teachers. These strategies are intended to align perceptions, strengthen leadership effectiveness, and ultimately improve teaching quality and student outcomes.



References:

  1. Ahamed, S., & Hassan, S. (2020). The Leadership Style of School Principal and Performance of Teachers. KALAM - International Research Journal Faculty of Arts and Culture, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, 13(4). Retrieved at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353046483_The_Leadership_Style_of_School_Principal_and_Performance_of_Teachers
  2. Adeyemi, T. O. (2016). Fundamentals of Educational Management. Lagos: Atlantic Associated Publishers. Retrieved at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343236412_MANAGING_TEACHING_MANPOWER_FOR_EDUCATIONAL_TRANSFORMATION_OF_BAYELSA_STATE_SECONDARY_SCHOOLS
  3. Amanchukwu, R. N., Nwachukwu, O. P., & Stanley, G. J. (2015). A review of leadership theories, principals, and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 25(1), 6- 14. DOI: 10.5923/j.mm.20150501.02
  4. Alagheb and, M. (2017). The study of the relationship between supervisor educational philosophy and their practice. Tehran University, Iran. Retrieved at https://www.sciepub.com/reference/465342
  5. Albugami, H. F. (2020). The Impact of Principal Leadership Styles on Teachers Performance in Public Elementary Schools in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. European Journal of Economic and Financial Research, 3(6), 48- 65. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3633254
  6. Aquino, C., Afalla, B., & Fabelico, S. (2021). Managing Educational Institutions: School Heads' Leadership Practices and Teachers' Performance. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 10(4), 1325-1333. Retrieved at https://ijere.iaescore.com/index.php/IJERE/article/view/21518
  7. Bayawa, E., & Guhao, E. (2022). Mediating Effects of School Climate and Teachers' Personality on the Relationship Between Principal Instructional Management and Teachers' Self- Efficacy among Elementary Teachers. International Journal of Applied Science and Research, VOLUME 5 ISSUE 3. ISSN: 2581- 7876. https://www.ijasr.org/paper/IJASR0042726. pdf
  8. Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations. Free Press, New York. Retrieved at https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=1842839
  9. Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18, 19- 31. DOI: 10.1016/0090- 2616(90)90061- S
  10. Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving Organizational Effectiveness through Transformational Leadership. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA. Retrieved at https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995- 97316- 000
  11. Boniao, R., & Alpuerto, M. (2021). School Heads' Leadership Styles of Public Schools Sub- Congressional District III, Bohol. University of Bohol Multidisciplinary Research Journal, Vol. 8. ISSN 2350- 7853. Retrieved at https://ub- urc.ph/index.php/ubmri/article/view/129
  12. Choi, N., & Chang, M. (2011). Interplay among school climate, gender, attitude toward mathematics, and mathematics performance of middle school students. Middle Grades Research Journal, 6(1), 15- 28. DOI: EJ947797.
  13. Crum, K. S., & Sherman, W. H. (2018). Facilitating High Achievement: High School Principals' Reflections on their Successful Leadership Practices. Journal of Educational Administration, 46(5), 562- 580. DOI: EJ808634.
  14. Dastane, O. (2020). Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance: a Moderating Role of Gender. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, November. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 12, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345997540_IMPACT_OF_LEADERSHIP_STYLES_ON_EMPLOYEE_PERFORMANCE_A_MODERATING_ROLE_OF_GENDER
  15. David, A. O. A., & Obadia, M. (2017). Effect of leadership styles on teacher's performance in primary schools in Arusha District Tanzania. International Journal of Educational Policy Research and Review, 4(4). Retrieved at https://oapub.org/soc/index.php/EJEFR/article/view/579
  16. Dumdum, U. R., Lowe, K. B., & Avolio, B. J. (2016). A meta- analysis of transformational and transactional leadership correlates of effectiveness and satisfaction: an update and extension. In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary Edition (pp. 39- 70). Emerald Publishing Limited, London. Retrieved at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280727383_A_meta-analysis_of_transformational_and_transactional_leadership_correlates_of_effectivenes_and_satisfaction_on_An_update_and_extension
  17. Ezewua, L. (2016). Issues in Educational Management. Engu- Hipuks Additional Press. Retrieved at https://vfast.org/journals/index.php/VTESS/article/view/764
  18. Englund, T. (2007). Education as communication: Deliberative conversations as an opportunity. Retrieved at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20020317.2022.2116152
  19. Fields, J., Kenny, N. A., & Mueller, R. A. (2019). Conceptualizing educational leadership in an academic development program. International Journal for Academic Development, 24(3), 218- 231. DOI: 10.1080/1360144X.2019.1570211
  20. Fiedler, F. (1967). A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness. New York: McGraw- Hill Book Company. Retrieved at https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=3065676
  21. Fiedler, F. E., & Garcia, J. E. (1987). New Approaches to Leadership. Cognitive Resources and Organizational Performance. Wiley, New York. Retrieved at https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=823380
  22. Gronn, P. (2000). Distributed properties: A new architecture for leadership. Educational Management & Administration, 28(3), 317- 338. DOI: 10.1177/0263211X000283002
  23. Gunawardena, G. N. (2015, June 25). Transformational leadership. Daily Mirror online. Retrieved at https://www.dailymirror.lk/print/columns/transformational- leadership/235- 77535
  24. Gill, F., Gil, F., Rico, R., Alcover, C. M., & Barrasa, A. (2018). Change- oriented leadership, satisfaction, and performance in workgroups: effects of team climate and group potency. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 20 (3/4), 312- 328. 10.1108/02683940510579768
  25. Ibukun, W. O. (2017). Educational Management Theory and Practice. Ado- Ekiti Banigboye and Co. Press (Nig.) Ltd. Retrieved at https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=1861417
  26. Jay, A. (2017). The Principal's Leadership Style and Teachers Performance in Secondary Schools of Gambella Regional State Institute of Education and Professional Development Studies Department of Educational Planning and Management (Unpublished master's thesis). Retrieved at https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/articles/thesis/The_Principals_Leadership_Style_And_Teachers_Performancee_In_Secondary_Schools_Of_Gambella_Regional_State/26453182?file=48103255
  27. Khan, A. W., & Afaqi, G. (2019). Exploring School Leaders' (SLs) Perspectives and Understanding about Globalization and Its Effects on Their Leadership Practices in District Ghizar, Gilgit- Baltistan, Pakistan. Creative Education, 10, 1037- 1061. DOI: 10.4236/ce.2019.105078.
  28. Katz, R. L. (1955). Skills of an Effective Administrator. Harvard Business Review, 33(1). DOI: 10.4135/9781452231267.
    Lunenberg, F. C., & Ornstein, A. C. (2019). Educational Administration Concepts and Practices. Belmont, C.A.: Wadsworth. Retrieved at https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Educational_Administration.html?id=xDIkYgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
  29. Maitlis, S., & Christianson, M. (2017). Sensemaking in organizations: Taking stock and moving forward. The Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), 57-125. DOI: 10.5465/19416520.2014.872178
  30. MacKenzie, S. B., Podsakoff, P. M., & Rich, G. A. (2017). Transformational and transactional leadership and salesperson performance. Academy of Marketing Science Journal, https://doi.org/10.1177/0307945999 29(2), 115-134. DOI: 10.1177/0307945999292003
  31. Marks, H. M., & Printy, S. M. (2003). Principal leadership and school performance: An integration of transformational and instructional leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(3), 370-397. DOI: 10.1177/0013161X03253457
  32. Morgan Philips Group. (2020). The new world of work. Leadership in a rapidly changing environment, 1-16. Retrieved at https://insights.morganphilips.com/en/how-managers-need-to-adapt-to-the-new-world-of-work
  33. Nawashteen, F. M. (2019). Educational and Curriculum Changes in Sri Lanka: in Light of Literature. Muallim Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 3(3), 342-361. Retrieved at https://mjsshonline.com/index.php/journal/article/view/55
  34. Nwadian, M. (2018). Educational management for sub- Saharan African. Benin City: Nigeria Society for Educational Planning, 22-34. Retrieved at https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Educational_Management_for_Sub_Saharan_A.html?id=mCUsAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y
  35. Osabiya, B. (2015). The Impact of Leadership Style on Employee's Performance in an organization.
  36. Robert, H., & H. Tim. (2018). Essential Manager's Manual. A. Korkling Kindersley Book. Colour Scan, Singapore. Retrieved at https://scispace.com/pdf/the-impact-of-leadership- style-on-employee-s-performance-in-3wq0jgf00t.pdf
  37. Ruloff, M., & Petko, D. (2021). School principals' educational goals and leadership styles for digital transformation: Results from case studies in upper secondary schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education. DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2021.2014979
  38. Sağnak, M. (2016). Participative Leadership and Change- Oriented Organizational Citizenship: The Mediating Effect of Intrinsic Motivation. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 16(62), 181-194. DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2016.62.11
  39. Sarwar, U., Tariq, R., & Yong, Q. Z. (2022). Principals' leadership styles and its impact on teachers' performance at the college level. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.955434
  40. Sukmaswati, I., Lian, B., & Wardiah, D. (2020). The Influence of Principal's Leadership and Teacher's Performance on Student Achievement. International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies (IJPSAT), 20(1), 247-254. Retrieved at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341432747_The_Influence_of_Principal's_Leadership_and_Teacher's_Performance_on_Student'_Achievement
  41. Siren, C., Patel, P. C., & Wincent, J. (2016). How do harmonious passion and obsessive passion moderate the influence of a CEO's change- oriented leadership on company performance? Leadership Quarterly, 27(4), 653-670. DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqa.2016.03.003
    Selosho, J. M., & Atang, A. N. (2018). Impact of principal leadership style on performance management. Mediterranean Journal of social science, 5(3), 2039-2117. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n3p2039
  42. Steinwart, M., & Ziegler, J. A. (2017). Remembering Apple CEO Steve Jobs as a "transformational leader": Implications for pedagogy. Journal of Leadership Education, 13(12), 52-66. DOI: 10.12806/V13/I12/R4
  43. Shatzer, R., Caldarella, P., Hallam, P., & Brown, B. (2018). Comparing the effects of instructional and transformational leadership on student achievement: Implications for practice. Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, 42(4), 445-459. DOI: 10.1177/1741143213502120
  44. Yenewen, A. (2016). Effectiveness of Principal Instructional Leadership in Preparatory Schools in South Wollo Zone (Unpublished master's thesis). Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Retrieved at https://etd.aau.edu.et/server/api/core/bitstreams/0717a6e4-a4d4-480c-921e-a563735611c1/content
  45. Yasmin, F., Imran, M., & Sultana, M. (2019). Effects of principals' leadership styles on teachers' performance at secondary schools in Dera Ismail Khan. Glob. Soc. Sci. Rev. 4, 281-286. DOI: 10.31703/gssr.2019(IV- I)0.37.
  46. Yukl, G., Gordon, A., & Taber, T. (2019). A hierarchical taxonomy of leadership behavior: Integrating a half- century of behavior research. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 9, 15-32. DOI: 10.1177/107179190200900102.