The Effects of the Leadership Style of the Principal on School Climate - Dissertation Example

? The Effects of the Leadership Style of the High School Principal on School Climate and Academic Achievement of Institute] [Education] The Effects of the Leadership Style of the High School Principal on School Climate and Academic Achievement Introduction With the advent of the 21st century a common thought and idea which nearly all countries of the world have acknowledged is that the progress and development of any nation is not just dependent upon the natural resources that it possesses, but is in fact dependent upon the ways through which these resources can be utilized in contributing to the success and progress of the country on the whole. In order to make accurate use of these resources and explore other frontiers at the same time it is important that individuals of the country are provided with the education which is competent enough to provide them with the skill and the quality to face any challenge of their life with utmost ease and convenience. (Fullan, 1991) It is therefore important that the process and the entire construction and framework of educational institutes of the country must be molded in a way through which they can contribute towards the development and progress of the whole society. In order to fulfill this objective it is important to initiate the process from the very beginning which is in the form of high school education in which students are enrolled in. Another important area and aspect which needs to be discussed here is related to the skill and quality of leadership and the way through which this particular skill can be integrated and nurtured within children especially at the level of their high school education. This is because this skill of leadership needs to be developed within children from the very first day and moreover it is with the help of this skill which guarantees the progress and leverage of any educational institute of the world. (Flath, 1989) Once we are done with the importance of leadership it is more important for us to shed light upon some other associated dimensions and aspects of the research which will be discussed and highlighted in the different phases of the research. However before moving towards those features and segments of the research it is important for us to have an understanding of some other related features which are of significant nature. Out of these the first one is the realization of the fact that educational institutes are not places where individuals get their passing certificates from, but also they are training centers from which students receive an idea about the ways through which the world operates and the different type of surprises that the world outside the school premises awaits them. Moreover the training that they receive in their high school prepares them to face any difficulty in their life with utmost ease and convenience. (Gross and Furey, 1987) But in order to successfully inculcate all these characteristics within the students it is important to understand the very fundamentals of the process which can lead to this and out of all others the process of leadership and that of the principal is the most important. Students whether they are in high school, college or university are overwhelmingly influenced and inspired by the ways through which the principal of their institute handles the different type of organizational affairs that they encounter on everyday basis. In other words it is the leadership and its manifestation with which students develop that influence towards their principal. (Glickman, 1990) During the course of this discussion we would be looking at the different leadership styles through the help of which the academic performance of students can be enhanced and can be made more effective in terms of implementation. It will be on the basis of the variables of leadership types demonstrated by principals and the subsequent effect that they have upon the performance of the student. Even though in the course of this research we would be shedding light on all important kinds of leadership, but out all others are key focus would be based on transformational and transactional leadership traits and the ways through which they are applied by principals of an educational institute. (Hallinger, 1989) The old saying of with great power comes great responsibility seems to be once again applicable in terms of the relationship which prevails between students and their teacher. Like an organization it is the teacher who has the responsibility of managing the different kind of students that he or she has in her class and it is basically her style of leadership which can either add convenience for the teacher or deteriorate situations. Unlike authoritative and arrogant teachers, the teachers who create a good rapport with their students have a positive impact on the academic performance of their students (Cogan, 1954). The outcomes of authoritative style of leadership are commonly manifested in the form of anxiety, frustration and aggression among students. Being a teacher and leader of the class it is important to realize that he or she does not only have the responsibility of managing the students, but also provide them with a direction where they can manage things on their own. Democratic style of teacher’s leadership promotes the co-operation among students and thus, improved relationships reinforce their learning experience and outcomes (Gronlund, 1985). Liberty constitutes an integral component of the social and academic achievement that a student can achieve what they like. Greater the autonomy given to students for maintaining their peer group relationships, the more they feel socially accepted and satisfied both in personal and work related matters. This, in turn, affects their academic output (Walberg & Anderson, 1968). Literature Review As mentioned earlier the two key aspects of leadership which will be considered in this research would be transformational as well as transactional leadership and the subsequent effect that they have upon the academic performance of students they are a part of. The leadership theories of transformational as well as transactional leadership have been described by various scholars and experts out of whom some will be considered in this particular phase of our discussion. In addition to this we will also be looking at other associated features which constitute the leadership qualities in a teacher and the ways through which this can contribute to the academic performance of students present in the class. Krishan (2005) while explaining the leadership of transformation emphasized upon the crucial aspects of how leaders can motivate their followers and at the same time can superimpose this sense of motivation upon them in order to extract what they want to do. In addition to this he has also formulated four different ways through which this particular leadership can be implemented among students. These ways include inspirational, motivation, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, idealized influence. Bass (1985) defines a transformational leader as a leader that focuses on synchronizing the core values of followers with overall organizational goals; provides followers with the sense of autonomy of the work; inspires them being a role model; help followers identify their strong and weak points and optimize their performance (Bass, 1985). Masi and Cooke (2000) have also conducted their study on the different aspects of transformational leadership and their main area of research has been the aspect of empowerment. The research that they conducted has been based on the self-efficacy and the development of the capability through which they develop the position of taking their own decisions according to their own needs and requirements. In addition to this the work also focuses upon the encouragement of participative climate through which people and participants can do and execute their own jobs and duties with utmost effectiveness. Along with this there are also other researches which have been conducted on the individual components and outcomes of transformational leadership out of which another important one is commitment. A study on this particular aspect has been done by Henkin, & Singleton (2000) which highlighted the fact that work experiences, organizational as well as personal factors all collectively contribute in adding to the attribute of commitment. In addition to this the research also sheds light upon the element upon the instinct of enthusiasm and zeal which further catalyzes the entire process of commitment that an individual intends to show towards his or her work. Another important component which needs to be considered in this entire context is that of job satisfaction which is also related to transformational leadership. This particular feature has been accentuated by Emery and Barker (2007). The research highlight some fundamental aspects which are related to job satisfaction which includes the level of autonomy and liberty that employees can exhibit in the task that they need to fulfill. Secondly, another important aspect that they have included in their research is that the element of job satisfaction also emerges from the perception that fellow workers or senior employees of the company and the subsequent opinion which they inculcate in the mind of the new employee that is entering the organization. The level of satisfaction that he will acquire from the organization will be based upon the perceptions senior employees will integrate in his mind. After discussing the basic segments and components of transformational leadership it is now important that we shift our attention towards the other kind of leadership which is transactional leadership and highlight the different components which constitute the crux of this leadership category. The core idea of transactional leadership is based on the awarding of rewards for the nature of work which is executed. These are either positive or negative rewards in the form of award or punishment. However the key objective of the leadership is to inculcate the element of coherence among team members and at the same time ensure that the tasks assigned are fulfilled. In order to further expand our scope of understanding related to transactional leadership it is important that we have a look at the four major dimensions upon which the pillars of this leadership stand upon. These include: Contingent Rewards: the nature of goal that needs to be achieved is discussed mutually between the leader and the followers and they are awarded once the task has been successfully accomplished. Active Management: a set of measures are set by the leader to ensure that none of the participants deviate from the benchmarks which have been established as the core criterion of task accomplishment in the entire process. Passive Management: this kind of management and its leadership application tries to project a sweeter and less stringent image of the leader who refrains from intervening in the process until or unless any participant violates the rules and standards which have been set by the leader. Laisez-Faire: this particular aspect of transactional leadership emphasizes upon the fact that in some situations transactional leadership hands over the responsibility to the decision making authority to other people in some exceptional circumstances. (Burns, 1978) Methodology Journals, periodicals, newspaper articles, magazines and e-zines are all of the primary sources that were used in the preparation of this report. The study will use the qualitative methodology because the field of this study is very vast. This study utilized inductive reasoning which requires that data collection and analytic processes be conducted in light with additional data. The analysis therefore occurs as an open step in conceptually interpreting the data set as a whole by using analytic strategies (Joubish, 2009). Once the data are collected, the researcher faces the task of searching for patterns that support or cast doubt upon the hypothesis. Thus the testing of hypotheses may proceed until the causes of the problem are pinned down. This study is limited to using pre existing (secondary) data. It is limited in that it is student level research and the most preferred method as access to required data can be obtained at little or no cost to the researcher. Journal, periodicals, newspaper articles and internet were the sources used to prepare this research paper. Thus for student level research it is the most preferred method because it is not possible for students to perform expensive research. Analysis Based on an analogy between a teacher and leader there are two styles of pedagogy and two management methods. The old model of authoritarian style in which the central figure, master of all content, is Professor in the device teaching, as the leader was in management. Pushed through innovation, this model is to be replaced by a leadership style where the teachers as leader, derive their authority more in their role as facilitator of the process. The teacher manages a class, as a manager manages a team with skills or not; its course like a business project with a beginning, a process and an end. A teacher develops a teaching strategy that is used to motivate his students and to install a good working atmosphere. The teacher innovates and explores the uncertain land by value creating and mobilizing all the energies to channel the concepts, methods and various tools. He delegates and sells the most difficult of his approach by setting up the learning process that helps students to progress, to complete their goals and to give the best of them to serve the group; while increasing satisfaction with the work environment and with the course as a whole. The popularity of his courses and enrollments are somewhat redundant indicators of his market success of the course. The concept of leadership is increasingly used in the literature on school management. This rapid appropriation of the term in the educational environment is justified in that it more or less faithfully reflects the real needs of the sector managerial point of view. The new conception of leadership that emerges in the education system gives principals autonomy in their work, which requires more leadership. According to Boudreault and Brunet (2001), leadership can be seen as "a process of influencing the work objectives and strategies of a group or organization to influence the stakeholders of an organization to implement strategies and to achieve the objectives to influence the operation and group identity and, ultimately, to influence the culture of an organization "Whether in public or in that of private school heads can be regarded as true owners and may adopt the leadership style that seems suitable to improve the performance of the school. Indeed, the school management refers to that which is applied in business. It recognizes that the mission entrusted to education differs objectives of a business for profit. Therefore, the school cannot meet all the principles of management that meets in a private company. However, we find in both the developed and developing countries in many schools that are privately owned. Therefore, these schools may have other management principles as applied in the private industrial and commercial organizations with the exception of public regulations specific to educational activities. The present research has shown that the most successful institutions are those whose leaders have a strong leadership, visit classes, encourage creativity and innovation in education (Nguni, Sleegers & Denessen, 2006). School heads shall consult with parents to find solutions to problems facing the institution. They noticed that the more the longevity of the head teacher at the head of the school is more important he has an open attitude to parents. In schools where the director himself taught, especially in rural areas, leadership with respect to teachers, is limited. However, relations with parents are positive. Bubb and Earley (2009) found in their work that a school is more effective when it has effective leadership from the Director. This leadership is effective when the director sets up a system of effective supervision of students and teachers. It is good management of teachers, the best use of faculty, followed in decisions, etc. They noted also that the level of performance is higher when management staff is available, especially the director. The availability of the director helps reduce performance losses that may result from moral hazard teachers who may not meet the development schedule or provide quality education to students. The effective leadership of the Director allows for regular monitoring of attendance of teachers and students in the classroom. These are non-sufficient, but still are required to yield the desired performance. The director must have the willingness and ability to establish a form of participatory leadership in school (Bubb and Earley, 2009). The participatory management style has been analyzed in developed countries. Research has shown that the involvement of regional authorities in defining the objectives of training has a positive impact on school performance. Wossman (2003) even noted that participative leadership has more impact on academic performance as an increase in resources. The work of Cheung and Cheng (2002) showed that the quality of leadership is the guiding factor for the first performance of schools. The relationship that principals have with parents in facilitating their integration in school councils and with whom they share the decision-making is one of the qualities of the school head. Instead of being mediators between parents outside the school and teachers located within, principals are placed in the position of arbiter of disputes that may arise between the two groups of actors. The observed performance differences between schools are related to the management style adopted by the Director. The theories of leadership style used in schools are derived from management theories. Authoritarian Leadership Authoritarian leadership proceeds in order to direct the activities of the organization. It is characterized by the distance between the leading members of the organization and leaves very little opportunity for exchange between the actors. This form of leadership provides a significant level of performance, but the pressure it generates is not possible to create an atmosphere of trust in relations between the different members of the organization. A manager that adopts an authoritarian leadership does not inspire confidence among members of the organization. This may even lead them to enter into rebellion against the leader. Democratic or Participatory Leadership The Democratic leadership is based on semi-structured methods and encourages group members to make suggestions, to be creative, to participate in discussions for decision-making and goal setting. This leadership makes friendly relations between members of the organization and creates a work environment more attractive. The departure of the leader does not affect the continuity of work. Democratic or participative leadership is the best style of management that ensures the performance level is higher. Shared leadership The theory of distributed leadership in schools is born in a context of challenge to the orthodoxy of conventional single leader and individualistic-based management system and professional bureaucracy. Education authorities in the UK for example, have decided to involve more teachers in the management device to get them to give the maximum effort to improve performance. Shared leadership is to shoulder of the responsibilities of management: leading a team, coordinating a group of teachers." In this sense, the British government has developed a program to develop leaders in special education. This type of leadership can be identified by how to use the data performance, lead, build teams and develop consistent standards of behavior. In other words, this leadership includes all the management functions, within a strategic policy. The development of the theory of distributed leadership in schools placed on the performance of the teacher to improve performance. Thus, the orthodox managerial system and shared leadership seem to have two conflicting principles. According to Hopkins (2001), shared leadership requires active participation at all levels of the administrative hierarchy. According to Hopkins and Jackson (2003), we cannot impose leadership; the combination of managerial relations and relations of leadership is problematic. They argue for a separation of management and leadership into two parallel structures. These provide opportunities for teachers to exercise leadership, creating a parallel non-hierarchical collective learning, separate from the hierarchy of power. Gronn (2000) has opted for a holding of authority and leadership by the head of the institution that may affect teachers and endorse his ideas. It is this management that could improve academic performance. Conclusion The teacher uses knowledge, skills and attitudes to impart knowledge to students. The importance of teacher quality is gaining more clearly because the different levels of the quality of their training, their skills and their initial levels of education lead to differences in performance between schools. We have seen that the most successful schools are those whose teachers have mastered the subjects they teach. Those teachers who have some experience in their field influence on performance. It is also demonstrated that for non-performing schools, teachers are not qualified. Their teaching practice was totally obsolete. The leadership of the director seems to play an important role in academic performance. Participative leadership style should allow the Director to improve the performance of the school. The existence of the partnership structures between stakeholders of the school would create a work environment that facilitates student learning. Such an environment also allows each teacher to take advantage of the expertise and experience of others to solve problems of student learning. Relationships between stakeholders can more easily solve interpersonal conflicts. Furthermore, it appears that schools are able to implement staff development programs, device management are more powerful open. The administrative and educational director should affect school performance. The presence of the Director to establish the means to control attendance of students and teachers and administrative measures planned to coerce or encourage teachers to be on time in the current assessment practices of student progress determinants appear in academic performance. Administrative documents are management tools to improve the administrative and educational management of the school, which could influence school performance. The control mechanism of teachers' work and the presence of students in classes, the time allocated by management for the teacher to provide his teachings, the amount of work that the student must perform at home, how to assessment of student progress, expectations for performance director should have an impact on performance, regardless of the resources devoted to schools. A management style that results in a system for monitoring attendance of teachers and their activities, educational support that the director brings to the teachers, the presence of the headmaster at the school, seems to have a positive impact on the performance. It seems that colleges are those in which performance measures have been taken to support classroom work. In countries such as France, the United States and the United Kingdom, for example, directors of schools set up an efficient system for creating an environment conducive to learning by encouraging students to work. There is a practice of monitoring student progress and performance of the institution. These schools seek to maximize the time spent on student learning. They adopt a clear and rigorous discipline. The above discussion has clearly shown that the best leadership style for teachers and principals of high schools is participatory leadership or the shared leadership. References Bubb, Sara and Earley, Peter (2009). Leading staff development for school improvement. School Leadership and Management, 29 (1). pp. 23-37 Burns J.M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row. Cheung, W. M & Cheng, Y.C. (2002). An outlier study of multi-level self management and school performance. 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