Principals’ Transformational Leadership for School Performance: A Survey Study of PABSON Member Schools of Lalitpur District

Abstract

This study examined the level of transformational leadership practices existing among school leaders in PABSON member schools in the Lalitpur district and the level of practices that influenced the overall performance of schools. Research questions were used in the study to answer whether school leaders had high transformational leadership qualities and whether the qualities were good predictors of school performance outcomes. Based on this, hypotheses were developed to evaluate the existence and the effect of attributes of transformational leadership- teamwork, organizational culture, effective communication, and creativity and innovation on school performance. The study had a quantitative survey research design anchored on a post-positivist paradigm. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on principals of PABSON-affiliated schools. Proportionate sampling was also used in order to have representation in terms of school level and location. Data were examined based on descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. The instrument showed high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.90. The outcomes showed that all measured dimensions of transformational leadership were highly exhibited by school leaders, and hence the first hypothesis was accepted. The analysis showed that there was a very strong positive correlation between total transformational leadership and total school performance (r =.888, p =.01). Further investigation revealed that leadership attributes all had significant correlations with key performance indicators. The multiple regression model proved that transformational leadership was a significant predictor of school performance (R² = .799, F = 82.308, p < .001). The strongest predictors in terms of their contribution to school performance were teamwork (β = .374, p < .001) and creativity and innovation (β = .370, p = .001), and the organizational culture was also significant in terms of its positive contribution (β = .182, p = .043). When the influence of other leadership variables was manipulated, effective communication did not show a statistically significant independent effect. The main inference of the study is that transformational leadership, especially collaborative and innovative practice, is a critical factor in the improvement of school performance within the Nepalese private education sector.