Transformational Leadership in Education: Impacts and Practices Toward Enhancing School Performance
Ruth Deliarte-ramos
Discipline: Education
Abstract:
This study addresses the persistent issue of improving educational leadership to enhance
teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in various institutional settings. Despite the growing
interest in transformational and distributed leadership styles, empirical data regarding their practical
effects in various educational contexts, particularly in the Philippines, remains limited. The findings
demonstrate that the adoption of transformational tactics by educational leaders—such as individualized
support and a shared vision—enhanced teacher motivation and cultivated a collaborative school culture.
This paper conducts a comprehensive literature review of domestic and international studies to analyze
the influence of transformational leadership—characterized by vision articulation, inspirational
motivation, individualized support, and collaborative culture—on institutional development, teacher
motivation, and student achievement. The findings demonstrate that the adoption of transformational
tactics by educational leaders—such as individualized support and a shared vision—enhanced teacher
motivation and cultivated a collaborative school culture. It also underscores distributed leadership as
an ancillary approach that fosters collaborative decision-making and trust. Key effective strategies
include cultivating a clear shared vision, enabling ongoing professional development, integrating digital
leadership competencies, and encouraging innovation. Despite these advantages, challenges such as
governmental constraints, cultural dynamics, and resistance to change remain significant obstacles. The
findings support targeted leadership training and contextually appropriate application to improve the
competencies of school leaders. The study emphasizes the imperative for politicians and educational
institutions to promote hybrid leadership models that amalgamate transformational and distributed
approaches tailored to local circumstances, leverage digital resources, and encourage continuous
professional growth. Future empirical investigations are advised to validate these strategies across
various educational settings, enabling more adaptable and efficient leadership that addresses
contemporary challenges and fosters sustained academic success.
References:
- Acton, K. (2020). School leaders as change agents: Do principals have the tools they need? Management in Education, 35(1), 43-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020620927415
- Alessa, G. (2021). The dimensions of transformational leadership and its organizational effects in public universities in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682092
- Balwant, P. (2016). Transformational instructor-leadership in higher education teaching: A meta-analytic review and research agenda. Journal of Leadership Studies, 9(4), 20-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21423
- Barlan, J. (2023). Exploring the challenges faced by higher education institutions in implementing the Philippine quality award framework: Basis for action planning. https://doi.org/10.46254/ap04.20230114
- Bayraktar, S., & Jiménez, A. (2020). Self-efficacy as a resource: A moderated mediation model of transformational leadership, extent of change and reactions to change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(2), 301-317. https://doi.org/10.1108/jocm-12-2018-0368
- Bragadóttir, H., & Potter, T. (2019). Educating nurse leaders to think globally with international collaborative learning. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 39(4), 186-190. https://doi.org/10.1177/2057158519856271
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
- Brown, L., Whitaker, B., & Brungardt, C. (2012). A proposed framework for global leadership education: Learning objectives and curricula. Journal of Leadership Education, 11(2), 214-225. https://doi.org/10.12806/v11/i2/ab1
- Fenech, R., Abdulla, A., Zairi, A., Kinsella, K., & Misra, A. (2023). Culture of excellence in academia in the UAE: A model of transformational leadership and leadership development. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 19(3), 369-387. https://doi.org/10.1177/19427751231188388
- Ferreira, V., Amestoy, S., Silva, G., Trindade, L., Santos, I., & Varanda, P. (2020). Transformational leadership in nursing practice: Challenges and strategies. Revista Brasileira De Enfermagem, 73(6). https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0364
- Fitriani, F., Lekatompessy, R., Tambajong, H., Kontu, F., Laode, I., Haris, U., & Jeujanan, W. (2023). Digital leadership in managing public organization Indonesia. Technium Social Sciences Journal, 49(1), 383-388. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v49i1.9829
- Goryunova, E., & Jenkins, D. (2024). Macro view of the place and impact of artificial intelligence on the design, content, delivery, and student engagement in graduate leadership education programs. Journal of Leadership Studies, 18(2), 35-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21899
- Hatmansyah, H., Wasliman, I., Insan, H., & Hanafiah, H. (2021). Leadership strategies in improving higher education graduates' competitiveness. International Journal of Educational Review, 3(2), 173-190. https://doi.org/10.33369/ijer.v3i2.15979
- Hsieh, C., Chen, Y., & Li, H. (2023). Impact of school leadership on teacher professional collaboration: Evidence from multilevel analysis of Taiwan TALIS 2018. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 9(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpcc-01-2023-0002
- Kang, L., Aziz, N., & Hassan, N. (2023). Improving work performance among academic staff through transformational leadership: A conceptual analysis. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 13(4), 49. https://doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v13i4.21588
- Kashive, N., & Raina, B. (2023). Transformation leadership's emotional labor and follower's psychological capital: Mediating effect of emotional contagion. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness People and Performance, 11(3), 594-619. https://doi.org/10.1108/joepp-04-2023-0159
- Khan, M., Ismail, F., Hussain, A., & Al-Ghazali, B. (2020). The interplay of leadership styles, innovative work behavior, organizational culture, and organizational citizenship behavior. Sage Open, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019898264
- Laufer, M., Leiser, A., Deacon, B., Brichambaut, P., Fecher, B., Kobsda, C., & Hesse, F. (2021). Digital higher education: A divider or bridge builder? Leadership perspectives on EdTech in a COVID-19 reality. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00287-6
- Marfarrina, I., Omar, B., Zuo, Y., Lee, K., & Lee, S. (2023). Effect of teachers’ transformational leadership on student engagement: Self-efficacy as a mediator. Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences, (62). https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.62.25
- Mathende, T., & Karim, A. (2022). Transformational leadership role on work performance under the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v12-i1/12053
- Messmann, G., Evers, A., & Kreijns, K. (2021). The role of basic psychological needs satisfaction in the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 33(1), 29-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21451
- Metz, S., Piro, J., Nitowski, H., & Cosentino, P. (2019). Transformational leadership: Perceptions of building-level leaders. Journal of School Leadership, 29(5), 389-408. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684619858843
- Ngochembo, G., Ful, H., & Mbouh, V. (2024). Significance of transformational leadership on project portfolio success within the micro financial sector in Cameroon. Finance & Economics Review, 5(2), 36-50. https://doi.org/10.38157/fer.v5i2.595
- Novita, M., Ritonga, A., & Jalaluddin, J. (2020). University leadership management for developing university students’ entrepreneurship. International Journal of Educational Review, 3(1), 15-28. https://doi.org/10.33369/ijer.v3i1.11283
- Pojanes, A., & Japos, G. (2022). Mediating effect of happiness at work in the relationship between transformational leadership and job performance: A literature review. JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research, 50(1), 85-117. https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v50i1.692
- Pounder, J. (2022). Transformational leadership and workplace engagement in education: Implications of a meta-analysis for educational leadership research. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202206.0418.v1
- Puni, A., Hilton, S., & Quao, B. (2020). The interaction effect of transactional-transformational leadership on employee commitment in a developing country. Management Research Review, 44(3), 399-417. https://doi.org/10.1108/mrr-03-2020-0153
- Rubia, J., Niere, M., & Jortil, M. (2023). Transformational leadership and organizational commitment of selected higher education institutions in Zamboanga Peninsula. Spring Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(06), 19-30. https://doi.org/10.55559/sjahss.v2i06.116
- Sabbah, I., Ibrahim, T., Khamis, R., Bakhour, H., Sabbah, S., Droubi, N., & Sabbah, H. (2020). The association of leadership styles and nurses' well-being: A cross-sectional study in healthcare settings. Pan African Medical Journal, 36. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2020.36.328.19720
- Santos, R., Gatchalian, C., Handig, J., & Sumugat, M. (2024). Investigating the interplay between authentic leadership skills and second language proficiency in a higher education institution. Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 4(2), 113-118. https://doi.org/10.47760/cognizance.2024.v04i02.011
- Sarong, J. (2023). Exploring transformative leadership approaches in modern educational institutions. Randwick International of Education and Linguistics Science Journal, 4(4), 873-881. https://doi.org/10.47175/rielsj.v4i4.845
- Sutisna, A., Khoriah, A., & Norman, E. (2024). Transformational leadership and team synergy in improving communication and collaboration in educational settings. Mes Management Journal, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.56709/mesman.v3i3.551
- Tawse, A., Atwater, L., Vera, D., & Werner, S. (2023). Strategy implementation: The role of middle manager leadership and coordination. Journal of Strategy and Management, 17(1), 59-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsma-01-2023-0007
- Tria, J. (2020). On becoming a leader: Catanduanes state university in its frame. The Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 24.
- Tocle, R. (2021). The mediating role of organizational commitment between transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among call center agents in Metro Manila. WVSU Res J, 10(2), 26-47. https://doi.org/10.59460/wvsurjvol10iss2pp26-47
- Utami, B., Nelitawati, N., & Al-Kadri, H. (2024). The influence of principal transformational leadership on teacher performance and learning quality in schools. International Journal of Educational Dynamics, 6(2), 555-559. https://doi.org/10.24036/ijeds.v6i2.488
- Villegas-Puyod, J., Chaisanrit, M., & Ajah, S. (2024). The role of transformational leadership on employee job satisfaction: Mediated by organizational citizenship behavior. EATP, 527-534. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i3.1307
- Vu, T., Vu, M., & Hoang, V. (2020). The impact of transformational leadership on promoting academic research in higher educational system in Vietnam. Management Science Letters, 585-592. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2019.9.022
- Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: Updated methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(5), 546-553
- Xie, Y., & Wang, N. (2023). The connotation evolution and enhancement strategies of digital leadership in China's universities in the context of digital transformation. Advances in Education Humanities and Social Science Research, 8(1), 221. https://doi.org/10.56028/aehssr.8.1.221.2023
- Yayu, Z. (2024). University administrators’ leadership style influencing instructors’ job satisfaction in Shanxi, China. Pacific International Journal, 6(4), 160-164. https://doi.org/10.55014/pij.v6i4.506.
- Zhu, X., & Tabajen, R. (2024). Exploring the link between transformational leadership and teacher innovation. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 16(3), 83-87. https://doi.org/10.54097/a6660y88
Full Text:
Note: Kindly Login or Register to gain access to this article.
ISSN 2984-8385 (Online)
ISSN 2984-8288 (Print)