Leadership Characteristics and School Improvement

Abstract

School leadership has been recognised as a critical element in school improvement and reform Theories about educational leadership have become closely aligned with theories about effective leadership in business, industrial and military settings. The concept of transformational leadership is a recent interpretation of the kind of leadership required to promote educational restructuring and improvement. Survey data from Canadian schools involved in school improvement programs were examined for evidence of relationships between principals' leadership behaviours and school outcomes. Using multiple regression analysis, transformational leadership accounted for a significant incremental effect above that of transactional leadership in bringing about enhanced school, teacher, program and instruction, and student outcomes. This supports a compelling argument that school leaders can promote change more successfully through employing methods associated with transforma tional leadership.

Keywords

educational administration leadership styles organisational development educational improvement multiple regression analysis school effectiveness

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