Zainal Ariffin Ahmad

Leadership Style and School Climate: Teachers' Perceived Leadership Style and School Climate in Malaysia Zainal Ariffin Ahmad

Faced with criticisms of failing to adequately educate students, much research on educational reform in the school systems alludes to the role of principals in the educational process. Specifically, the principals have been identified as the most accountable key individuals responsible for creating conducive school climate. This book, therefore, highlights the relationship between high school teachers' perception of principal leadership style (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire MLQ) and school climate (School Level Environment Questionnaire SLEQ) based on the theoretical framework derived from Theory of Leadership Style. Studying the perceptions of high school teachers in 17 urban secondary schools in Penang, Malaysia, the authors found that principals who are transformational leaders have an effect on school climate whereas transactional leaders only have an effect on one of the six dimensions of school climate. The in-depth analysis offers school boards and superintendents some insight into the style of principal leadership that may best fit the specific school climate needs in their respective school districts.