Chapter 1

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

School is an institution which provides extra services to the community. Therefore, to ensure that the institution is moving well and effectively, it requires individuals who are competent to handle it. Excellence and success of the school is a big responsibility of principals to manage them.

Principals play a vital role for the success of the school. Principals are administrators, managers and leaders. As a leader, principal must have certain characteristics so that the quality of services received by students really secure and effective. Various changes and reforms need to be done such as curriculum and pedagogical changes in the teaching and learning process, the physical school and school administration.

In connection with the National Education Blue Print (2013 - 2025) was launched by the Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak recently. One of the focuses in the National Education Blue Print is to improve school leadership. This is consistent with the role of the principal as a manager, administrator and leader. The dynamic leadership of the principal is able to influence organizational members work collectively to realize the mission and vision of the next set of indicators of progress and school performance.

Effective principal leadership can lead to changes required by the ministry, but also can solve the problem by teachers and students. Principal ship knowledge skills such as administering and managing skills, social skills and thinking skills can help principals do its job well. A principal must have the skills, and are dedicated to shaping the outstanding achievements of the school.

Principal leadership can motivate, persuade and influence others to join towards the achievement of a specific objective. According to the Kamus Dewan (2003) was defined as the subject educators can educate or provide training and teaching. Effectiveness can also be defined as the achievement of maximum effort. In conclusion the principal role of effective leadership means that leaders  influence the conduct of the teachers, students and school staff to achieve excellence school.

Principal is the chief administrator of the organization and hierarchy of the top ranked in the management of schools. As agents of change in school principal should be able to address the challenges of globalization at the moment. Accordingly principal leadership patterns must change. Among the changes that should be done is:

a. Principals should know the forms of leadership and modern management.

b. Principals should be aware of the reality that nothing can affect school          

     leadership.                                                                                                                   

c. Principals should know the ins and outs of learning and teaching latest.

d. Principals should be open, frank and be reasonable sense.

e. Principals should communicate effectively with students, teachers,

    community  and superiors.

However, there are other factors that also affect the success of a school. But for this study, we only focus on leadership style factors as the principal agents of change in schools.

Statement of the problem

Implementation of policies, policy and educational innovation is happening at the school level impact on teacher behaviour. This situation can cause stress and constraints to teacher determinant of the effectiveness of leadership style. Ineffective school principals will impact directly and indirectly to the pressure faced by teachers and school support staff.

The evidence from the study of pressure on teachers shows this problem is at the level of concern. According to Hussein (2008), the principal is the most important person who led the school to achieve the aims of the school. But the effectiveness of the school is very dependent on the principal  leadership ability to get cooperation from all quarters, especially for a middle managers and teachers at school.

According to Sergiovanni (1987), there are five types of leadership, namely technical, human, educational, symbolic and cultural. In future studies will examine the extent to which the principal has performed so as to achieve the goal of the next school of excellence school.

Kurt Lewin and colleagues did leadership decision experiments in 1939 and identified three different styles of leadership, in particular around decision-making. Among them is the autocratic leadership style, democratic and 'laissez-fair'. Yet there is no single best leadership style than others even though there have been studies that indicate leadership style democracy is better than the leadership style "laissez-faire or autocratic leadership style.

The question is whether an effective principal leadership with leadership style and knowledge available principal leadership style able to make change and student achievement. Are they a leader of the future that is capable of meeting the challenges of globalization of education today?

This research study is to examine the transformational leadership styles, transactional leadership style and laissez faire leadership style among school principals and student achievement in secondary schools Petaling Perdana, Shah Alam, Selangor. Furthermore, the study also examines the relationship or correlation between the effectiveness of transformational leadership styles, transactional leadership style and laissez faire leadership style the among school principals and student achievement in schools Petaling Perdana, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Specifically the objectives of this study are to:

i.          examine types of leadership style among secondary of school.

ii.      examine the relationship between leadership style (transformational leadership styles, transactional leadership style and laissez faire leadership style) and the students’ academic achievement in schools in a district in Selangor.

The research questions

Based on the stated research objectives, research questions is as follows:

I.          Which of transformational leadership styles, transactional leadership style and laissez faire leadership style of principals dominantly used by secondary school principals in the district in Selangor in teachers perception?

II.        Is there a significant relationship or correlation transformational leadership styles, transactional leadership style and laissez faire leadership style practiced by the principals, the principals of secondary schools in the district in Shah Alam, Selangor with student

Research hypotheses

Ho1: There are no statistically significant correlational relationships between transformational leadership styles, transactional leadership style and and laissez faire leadership style among school principals and student achievement in schools Petaling Perdana, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Ho2:  There are no statistically significant predictive linear relationships for the     

           factors of leadership transformational leadership styles, transactional 

           leadership style and laissez faire leadership style among school  

           principals at Petaling Perdana, Shah Alam , Selangor.

Operational definition

Leadership

Leadership has been described as “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. According to Chemers M. (1997), leadership also is "organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal". The leader may or may not have any formal authority. Students of leadership have produced theories involving traits situational interaction, function, behaviour, power, vision and values, charisma, and intelligence, among others. Somebody whom people follow: somebody who guides or directs others.

Leadership style

Transformational leadership style

Transformational leadership style is evidenced when the leader and followers transcend their self-interest for the sake of the team, organization or larger policy, accomplishing more as a result of the followers’ trust, loyalty, and respect for leader.

Transactional leadership style

Transactional leadership style is evidenced when the leader and followers are in a relationship whereby followers receive rewards related to their lower-order needs in return for complying with the leader’s expectations.

Instructional

Laisser-faire

Laisser-faire management is evidenced by the absence of leadership. Individuals in a leadership role avoid making decisions and carrying out supervisory responsibilities. Rather than simply failing to be reactive or proactive, such individuals are inactive and passive in their leadership role.

Principal

The educator who has executive authority for a school. Principals are administrators appointed from among the teachers to the office administration to govern the school. Designation refers to the grade designation principals consisting two categories: DG 48 and DG 54. Position 54 is grade DG principal’s office Right, and DG 48 is grade positions for principals.

Student achievement

The best indicator of academic achievement in Malaysian secondary schooling is performance in the Malaysian Certificate Examination (SPM).

Limitation of the study

The study sample was limited to 10 principals and 500 teachers in the district Pelating Prime, Shah Alam, Selangor. Therefore, the results of this study are limited to the perceptions and experiences of a sample group and limits generalizability; no controls for teacher classroom performance and no verification of respondents actually observing principal behaviours; time of  group survey was given; and, the use of one instrument to measure leadership style may not reflect the actual leadership style of the principal.

The following limitations, which focus on methodological issues, apply to this study. Heppner & Heppner, (2004).

1. The findings of the study were limited by the validity and reliability of the   

    instruments.

2. The findings of the study were limited by the accuracy and perception of the

participants.  It is assumed the teachers responded honestly and interpreted      

the instrument as intended.

3. The findings of the study were subject to the limitations of survey data        

    collection methods.

4. The findings of this study were based on Likert-type questions which do not  

   allow participants to construct their own responses or allow the researcher  

   to probe for additional insight.

Significant of the study

i.          Principals

This study is useful to school principals in order to increase the knowledge of leadership and use appropriate leadership style. Leadership styles according to changing circumstances are able to realize the vision and mission and Ministry of Education and increase student achievement excellence.

ii.         Teachers

The research is very important for teachers to see a positive relationship with the leadership style of student achievement. Teachers should be aware that the style of leadership that enable to increase the motivation of teachers. This is important because the teachers were going to implement all programs to increase student performance that has been planned.

iii.        Prospective principals

This study is meaningful to potential principals to prepare to be a competent leader who can lead the organization successfully.

  iv.      Stakeholders

The research is very important for Ministry of Education to identify and evaluate the leadership style of secondary schools. The Ministry of Education should take appropriate measures to improve the professionalism of secondary school principals in order to enhance academic student achievement.

Researchers make an in-depth investigation in relation to secondary school principals' leadership style. The results of the study will contribute to the effective leadership style. The underlying assumption is that school principals as leaders do not realize that the leadership style can improve working relationships towards achieving the objectives and organizational goals.