Transformational Leadership of Head Teachers and Academic Optimism - Perspectives of Teachers in Secondary Schools

Oct 15, 2026

Ideal leadership behavior of head teachers is critical to overall school progress. This research examined the relationship between head teachers’ transformational leadership and academic optimism in secondary schools in Punjab province, using a sample of 900 secondary teachers selected via multistage random sampling; 872 responses were received. Instruments TLQ and SAOS were validated by expert review, with reliability verified through Alpha values of 0.944 and 0.823. Findings showed a significant strong positive correlation, offering guidance for an effective school leadership model.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Leadership and school progress

Research design and instruments

Results and implications

Transformational Leadership of Head Teachers and Academic Optimism: Perspectives of Teachers in Secondary Schools Atif Khalil*and Abid Hussain Ch.** Abstract The ideal leadership behaviour of head teachers has become extremely important for the overall progress of schools. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership behaviour of head teachers and academic optimism in secondary schools. The population of this research comprised of all secondary school teachers: male (65331) and female (59885) in Punjab province. The sample of 900 teachers was selected through multistage random sampling technique based on the district performance rankings from 2017-18, presented by Punjab Education Sector Reform Program (PESRP), however a total of 872 teachers responded. The researcher developed the instrument (TLQ) based on transformational leadership of head teachers and adapted an instrument (SAOS) for academic optimism. Validity of both research instruments was ensured by expert opinions and reliability of both instruments was checked through Alpha value 0.944 and 0.823 respectively. The study inferred a significant and strong positive correlation between transformational leadership of head teachers and academic optimism in schools. This study can provide guidelines for the ideal leadership model at the school level in order to improve the performance of teachers and students. Keywords: Transformational leadership, Collective self-efficacy, Faculty trust, Academic emphasis, Academic optimism. *Ph.D Scholar, Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore Email: [atifkhalil18@gmail.com](atifkhalil18@gmail.com) **Dean, Faculty of Education, Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore Email: [chabidhussainier@yahoo.com](chabidhussainier@yahoo.com) Academic performance of students is a very important factor at the school level and school leaders are being required to initiate positive changes to improve learning environment. However, relatively few research studies established the criteria of effective leadership practices at school level even though it is one of the main factors contributing to school improvement. An effective leader definitely influences many of the factors which contribute to school improvement and play a role in student outcome (Wright, 2007) . Likewise, it is essential for school leaders to develop their teaching staff and other school characteristics that contribute to student success (Donovan, 2014) . Indeed, school head teachers are responsible for the formation of school conditions (shared goals, organizational culture, and processes) and classroom conditions (instructional content, classroom conditions, and instructional pedagogy) which are directly responsible for increasing students’ learning (Wahlstrom, Louis, Leithwood, & Anderson, 2010) . According to Kamete (2014), head teachers hold a core position and authority for establishing an effective operation for an educational institution. They have more authority and can set clear goals for the future of their schools. Likewise, they seek support from their teaching staff and boost their professional strength towards achieving the objectives of schools and fulfilling learning needs of students. Moreover, effective school leaders aim to build a range of positive relationships and cooperation ties especially with parents, teachers, and other community members to support their pupil’s learning and progress (Faraz, 2016) . However, adopting an ideal leadership model is still debatable and varies in context. Recently, the transformational leadership model has gained importance even in the education sector, as it helps in building relationship and establishing suitable working conditions between a leader and his or her followers (Bass, 1990) . It might be worthwhile to apply this leadership model at a school level where head teachers may face challenging circumsta

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study on head teachers’ leadership?

To investigate the relationship between head teachers’ transformational leadership behavior and academic optimism in secondary schools.

How were teachers selected, and what was the response rate?

A sample of 900 teachers was chosen using multistage random sampling based on district performance rankings (2017-18); 872 teachers responded.

What instruments measured transformational leadership and academic optimism, and how reliable were they?

The study used TLQ for transformational leadership and an adapted SAOS instrument for academic optimism; reliability was checked using Alpha values of 0.944 and 0.823, respectively.

Oct 15, 2026

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