Investigating the Impact of School Headteachers’ Leadership Styles on Students’ Academic Achievement: A Case Study of Ngororero District, Western Province
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of school headteachers’ leadership styles on students’ academic achievements. Leadership in educational institutions is widely recognised as a critical factor influencing school performance and student outcomes. The research explored various leadership styles, including laissez-faire, transformational, democratic and transactional, assessing the effectiveness in enhancing academic achievement. Using a mixed-methods approach, data are collected from headteachers, DOS, and teachers in selected schools through surveys, interviews, and academic performance. Some findings reveal that transformational leadership, characterised by vision-setting, motivation, and individualised support, significantly correlates with improved academic performance. Transactional leadership, focused on rewards and punishments, shows moderate effectiveness but cannot foster long-term improvement. In contrast, laissez–faire leadership, defined by minimal involvement, is associated with lower academic outcomes. The topic emphasises that leadership styles influence teacher motivation, classroom management, and the overall learning environment, ultimately impacting student success. This topic highlights the importance of leadership development programs for headteachers, encouraging the adoption of practices that promote collaboration, innovation, and academic excellence. This topic aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators and school administrators, contributing to efforts aimed at enhancing educational quality and student performance. The topic concludes that effective leadership is the cornerstone of academic success, warranting further exploration and investment in leadership training initiatives. Armstrong (2004) considers leadership as influence, power and the legitimate authority acquired by a leader to be able to effectively transform the organisation through the direction of the human resources that are the most important organisational asset, leading to the achievement of the desired purpose. The headteacher’s leadership style is an independent variable, while academic achievement is dependent.
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