Chapter 2
Introduction
Principal
leadership is becoming increasingly important towards the success of a school.
It involves a process of achieving school goals, vision and mission. There are
many new challenges faced by principals such as technological progress, school
improvement, standards based accountability and others. The school principal is
also busy with the duties of the ad-hoc nature. This adds to the burden of
managing busy principals and school administration and forgets about the
importance of applying a suitable leadership style that can drive school
performance.
Style
of leadership was the main focus, especially with the National Education
Blueprint, which was launched by the Prime Minister recently. It stated that
strong leadership is required to produce significant improvement in student
achievement. Leadership style effectively able to be decisive niche education
desired. Applying leadership style would allow principal create a positive
school culture and learning environment.
According
to Noran Fauziah and Ahmad Mahdzan , (1993),
successful leaders motivate their subordinates to higher levels of
productivity, increase student performance and lead the organization towards
its objectives. Principal with leadership style should be able to influence
their subordinates towards the achievement of organizational objectives.
Christensen
and Mac Gregor, (2010) stated that, it is important for educational leaders to be
effective and implement change in their schools. They must become the
educational leaders who are motivated to help students achieve their full
potential. Hence, schools must produce leaders to be able to face these
challenges. To do this, schools must determine the qualities they need in an
educational leader and be able to match their school’s needs to the leadership profile
of potential leaders.
However,
Sealy,(1985) claimed that the principals as school leaders must be able to
utilize all resources for school progress. An effective principal must also be
able to integrate community needs with school needs. Furthermore, they should utilize
community groups, staff groups, and other interested parties in developing an
improved educational program. Therefore, principals must be able to adapt their
leadership styles to meet future demands.
As
a whole, a good principal should identify and evaluate the types of appropriate
leadership style to achieve their school goal, vision and mission. Principal
leadership style is important to improve teacher satisfaction and student
achievement.
School
Principal Leadership Styles
The Ohio State and Related
Leadership Studies
LBDQ (Leader Behaviour Description Questionnaire)
studies started at the Ohio State University in 1940s. LBDQ originally created by John K. Hemphill
and Alvin Coons (1950), and later change by Andrew Halpin and Winer (1952). Two dimensions of leader
behavior have been identified as initiating structure and consideration. Initiating structure refer to any leader behavior
shows the relationship between the leader and subordinates at the same time
establishes defined patterns of organization, channels of communication, and
methods of procedure. Consideration refers to the leader behavior shows
friendship, trust, warmth, interest, and respect in the relationship the leader
and subordinates (Halpin, 1966). Figure 1.1 illustrated the two dimensions
leads to four leadership style include a relations style (high in relation
behavior ), a task style (high only in task behavior), a dynamic style (high on
both relation and task), and a delegated style (low on both relations and
task).(Hoy, Miskel, 2010)
Figure 1.1 A Typology of Leader Behavior Style (Hoy,
Miskel, 2010)
Therefore, the leader behaviour style of school principals should
preferable and effective in terms of nearly all of the climate and affective
measures. The profiles of the four leadership styles provide a useful pattern
for developing principal leadership for better students' outcomes.
Instructional
Leadership
The most frequently used conceptualisation of
instructional leadership was developed by Hallinger (2003). This model proposes
three dimensions of the instructional leadership construct: deļ¬ning the
school’s mission, managing the instructional program, and promoting a positive
school-learning climate, Hallinger, (2003). These dimensions are further known as
instructional leadership. Instructional leadership emphasis on the improvement
of teaching and learning in school towards student achievement. Instructional
leader attempt to change school factors such as curricular content, teaching
methods, assessment strategies, and cultural norms for academic achievement.
Instructional leader also describe as a strong and directive, culture builders,
and goal-oriented, Hoy, Miskel, (2012). Figure 1.2 show A contingency Schema for
Understanding Leadership.
Blase and Blase,(1999) asserted those principals who
use to talking with teachers to promote reflection and promoting professional
growth tends to produce effective instructional leadership. These two
strategies have strong ‘enhancing effects’ on teacher, emotionally, cognitively,
and behaviourally. A better understanding of what principals do as
instructional leaders could provide skill development and learning experiences administration
preparation programs might develop to prepare candidates for the principal ship,
Ruffin, (2007). High quality leadership could increase
student outcome. Horng & Loeb,(2010) asserted that instructional leadership
not only emphasizes on teaching and learning by observing practise but
emphasizes on organizational management for instructional improvement. It includes
staffing a school with high-quality teachers and providing them appropriate
supports and resources to be successful in the classroom.
One of nine school principal ship competence of
Malaysia (SKKSM) is the application of curriculum management. Therefore,
principals should take initiative gathering information on teaching ability. It
is important as a guideline for teachers to produce quality curriculum and
effective teaching.
Transactional
Leadership
Transactional
leadership, on the other hand means
that motivate followers by exchanging rewards for services rendered such as new
instructional materials or increased planning to teachers so they can institute
a new curricular program, Hoy and Miskel,(2010). There are three components of
transactional leadership. Contingent rewards leadership, active
management-by-exception and passive management-by-exception. Contingent rewards
refer to leader provide followers with rewards contingent on the follower’s
performance. Active and passive management-by-exception refer to the
leader that arranges to actively monitor deviances from standards, mistakes,
and errors in the follower’s assignments and to take corrective action. Gill, Levine, and Pitt, (1998) stated that leaders
who reward and punish their subordinate will make people unhappy. Transactional
leadership leads not enough consideration to people’s ideas, feeling and needs.
It also failed to empower or develop subordinates potentials. However, Obiwuru,
Okwo, Akpa, and Nwankwere, (2011) recommended that small scale of
organizational apply transactional leadership style whereas develop and mature
or bigger organizational apply transformational leadership style. It shows that principal with small school
could apply transactional leadership style and principal with more student and
teacher suggest applying transformational leadership style.
Therefore, transactional
style of leadership may influence the leader in motivating
through a system of rewards and punishment. If a subordinate does what is required,
a reward will follow, and if he does not go as the wishes of the leader, a
punishment will follow. Here, the exchange between leader and follower takes
place to achieve performance goals of the school.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational
leadership was first developed by Burns (1978). According to Hoy and Miskel (2010), transformational leadership style is
an expansion of transactional leadership style. Transformational leader are
proactive, raise the awareness levels about inspirational collective. They also
help their subordinates to achieve high performance outcome. Transformational
leadership consist four categories. There are idealized influence,
inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized
consideration. Idealized influence refer to leader builds trust and respect. They
provide the basic of accepting radical and fundamental change. In turn,
inspirational motivation show team spirit, enthusiasm, optimism, goal
commitment and shared vision. Intellectual stimulation refers to leader
influence their subordinates to be innovative and creative. Intellectual stimulation
encourages the followers to think creatively, design new procedures and
programs, and solve difficult problems. Individualized consideration refers to
the leader pay attention to the needs of their subordinates achievement and
growth. Therefore, leader act as a mentor to help their subordinates to
successively exploit their potential.
Furthermore, Azman, Hassan, Ahmad Zaidi, Mohd Hamran, and Muirah Hanim, (2011)
identified that transformational leadership practise had increased the
empowerment to achieve the organizational strategy and goal. It will help the
employee to use their creativeness and innovativeness. As a result,
transformational leadership may lead to enhanced organizational commitment and
support organizational strategies and goal. Oluremi, (2008) also conducted the
study that transformational leadership have important indirect relationships
with task focus goals, and excellence in teaching and learning.
Overall, transformational leadership style draws various
capabilities and approaches to leadership. The principal create different
advantages for the school organization. Transformational leadership drive the
principal to possesses integrity, sets a good example and clearly communicates
his goals to his followers. This type of leader inspires their subordinate’s to
look beyond their own interests and focus on the interests and needs of the
team.
Laissez-Faire
Leadership
According to Bass (1998), this type of leadership as the absence of
transaction of followers. Laissez-faire leadership avoid responsibility, lack
of decision making, and fail to follow-up. Laissez-faire leadership is the most
passive and least effective. Oluremi, (2008) noted that laissez-faire
leadership style has a negative effect on school learning culture. It failed to
motivate teachers to aspire them to reach the goals of organization. This is
consistent with previous research Leithewood et al. (1996) that has suggested
that passive leadership is an unhelpful form of leadership in schools. Although this leadership style, is not usually advocated, laissez-faire
may be productive with persons who are highly motivated and can work totally on
their volition. This type of leadership style would also be appropriate when
there is nothing significant at stake. For example, if teachers wanted to give
a party, then a laisser-faire style would be most appropriate.
In conclusion, each style has its place
in an organization. It can be used for different situations, tasks, and the
maturity and level of professionalism of employees to achieve student
performance.
Identifying influence of school leadership on learning and school
effectiveness.
Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, Wahlstorm,
(2004) studied that the successful of school improvement depend on the
capacities of local leadership. Leadership come from many sources such as
superintendents, principals and those in formal positions of authority. Hence,
efforts should be considered to improve their recruitment, training, evaluation
and on-going development to achieve successful school improvement. Harvey and
Holland, (2012) noted that school principal as a leader could guide the school
to better teaching and learning. According to Harvey and Holland, there are
some characteristic of an effective principals. As a leader, principal should
shape a vision of an academic success for all students. They also could create
a climate hospitable to education. The principal could be able to cultivating
leadership with others, improving instruction and managing people, data and
processes to foster school improvement.
Furthermore, Liu and Helen, (1999)
found that the role of principal’s leadership only a part of contribution to
school effectiveness. On the other hand, house hold income of the school had
the most significant positive correlation with student’s academic performance,
while school size had a negative correlation. Haim, (2007) conducted a study on
examining the relationship between principal’s instructional/educational leadership
and student achievement found that instructional leadership effect indirectly
upon student achievement. Instructional leadership effect directly to teacher
and school culture. This study stated that instructional leadership is not
enough to explain the whole variance in student’s achievement at school level.
Furthermore the explanation of the variance in student achievement at the school
level has to be shared with other factors, like the quality of the curriculum,
the attentiveness of pupils, the opportunity to learn, the quality of instruction
and the capacities and motivation of teachers, which were not tested in this study.
Moreover, Wan Hanum and Jamal, (2012)
noted that most of the teachers had accepted the principal leadership styles in
enhancing teaching-learning process in their schools. It is also identified
that there was a sense of awareness and consciousness among teachers on the role
of principal in ensuring and determining academic excellence. Transformational leadership especially in the domain of inspirational
influence, give the highest impact on student performance. This was followed by
leadership attributes of intellectual stimulation and charisma, which were also
influence the student performance. Comparatively, principals’ individualized
consideration was the least observed behavior.
In
addition, Ibrahim, Ali , Al-Taneiji, and Shaikah, (2010) completed an
investigation about principal leadership style, school performance, and principal
effectiveness in Dubai schools. The studied found the school principal should
not depend only on transformative leadership; they should apply instructional
leadership as well in order to improve school performance. The study noted that
the principals who work closely with teachers would provide direction and
guidance, assessing and providing needed resources, and observing and
evaluating performance. It means that principal leadership style influence
indirectly to school achievement because the work of teachers is more directly
related to student learning and achievement than the work of principals. Principal
behaviors more directly affect teachers’ satisfaction, commitment to work, and
working relations with one another. This study stated that, building on
transformational leadership alone will not create the necessary influence to
improve student achievement. It should be combined with instructional
leadership if improvement of school performance and student attainment is to be
achieved.
Conclusively, the effective principal
leadership has been seen to be one of the most important contributory factors
to a school’s success. However, other factors should be include such as disciplined
environment, better academic approach in teaching and learning process, teachers’ dedication
and cooperation, team spirit, good teacher-student relationship, students’
improved attitude towards education, and
the emphasis on the importance of the national language.
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