Problem Statement
The main objective for educational leaders is to improve student academic achievement, a puzzling goal articulated by principals as part of their function as the instructional leader. Principles are charged with the duty of improving students’ academic performance through monitoring the curriculum and analyzing their progress. While studies have shown evidence that positive teacher efficacy has a direct link to the students’ performance, there is no evidence linking principal leadership to the students’ achievement, but they are indirectly related. According to a study by Bass and Riggio (2006), principals are held accountable for their students' achievement regardless of the student population that they serve. However, several research reviews have found a near zero-direct effect of principals on student achievement. Noteworthy, principals indirectly influence their students' performance through the teachers' abilities, skills, and effectiveness. Research evidence has established there is a link between the principal’s style of leadership and teacher efficacy. The inference is that the leadership practices applied by principals’ play a major role in promoting teacher efficacy, consequently creating a work environment that might impact teacher commitment and performance to the organization, which in the bottom line may influence on student achievement. Kim and Seo (2018), contend that school leadership has a substantial effect on student education, second only to the effects of the teachers’ instruction and curriculum quality. While this evidence of leadership research is relative to other similar studies, it contradicts the works of Chen (2014), who argues that school leadership directly influences the students’ achievement. There are several educational leadership styles that are said to be the best for improving students’ achievement following the introduction of the recent authorizations, changes in educational reforms and policies, and school restructuring. However, research reviews done in the past years established that transformational school leadership has the highest direct influence on teacher efficacy and an intermediary impact on student achievement. According to Cevik (2017), teachers in schools where principals practice transformational leadership are more likely to show satisfaction with their principal, exert extra effort and be more committed to improving the organization than a teacher in other schools. The education system is seemingly moving toward more uncertainty, burdened with challenges like budget constraints, strict accountability measures, policy changes among others. However, despite these challenges, educators are expected to sustain and improve student achievement through indirect and direct means. The principals' style of leadership and role are significant elements in meeting the challenges, expectations, and demands of teachers, students, policymakers, students and other stakeholders (Anderson 2017). Therefore principals should understand how their leadership practices relate to teacher efficacy and the impact on student achievement. Literature review suggests that nominal research has been conducted to determine the influence of principals’ transformational leadership practices on student achievement through teacher efficacy at middle schools. In order to identify the correlation of this phenomenon, the study will explore the effect of the principals’ transformational leadership style and the teachers’ sense of efficacy concept.
Description of Terms
The following descriptions and definitions will be applied for the sake of this study: Self-efficacy: refers to how individuals judge their capabilities to establish and implement a course of action that is required to achieve given sets of goals. (Türkoglu, Cansoy & Parlar 2017). Leadership: the process that an individual solicits and influences the support of other people in order to accomplish a common goal (Anderson 2017). Leadership behavior, style, and practices: these terms will be used interchangeably to refer to the method and style of motivating people, providing direction and implementing plans (Bass & Riggio 2006). Middle School: A learning institution at a level between elementary school and high school that includes sixth-grade, seventh-grade and eighth-grade level (Kim & Seo 2018). Student achievement: student achievement in middle school refers to the students' academic quality based on the based on the whole school's performance in mathematics, language, and reading. Performance is described as: exceed, does not meet or meet standards (Kim & Seo 2018). Teachers’ efficacy: based on the credence that a teacher has in his or her ability to impact the students’ achievement positively (Cevik 2017). In the study, a teacher sense of efficacy will be measured according to efficacy in instructional strategies, student engagement and classroom management (Cevik 2017). Transformational leadership: leadership practices aimed at changing an organization and individuals through inspiration and motivation. Transformational leadership transforms others by making them understand the importance of their actions to the organization’s benefit (Chen 2014). The study’s transformational school leadership construct seeks to encourage teacher development and maintain a professional and collaborative culture to help them improve students’ achievement.
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Phenomena and Research Questions
The study is guided by the following research questions and hypothesis: If there is a correlation between transformational leadership and teacher efficacy, which transformation leadership dimensions are linked with teacher efficacy? If there is a correlation between transformational leadership and students’ achievement, which transformational leadership practices best envisions student achievement? If there is a correlation between teacher efficacy and student achievement, which factors best envisions student achievement?
Discussion
The wake of education reforms, restructuring and accountability have brought challenges in education. Despite the numerous challenges, teachers and principals are charged with the daunting task of improving student achievement. However, teachers are continuously struggling with their self-assurance, worth, and confidence in improving student performance. Despite these challenges, studies suggest a correlation between teachers' actions and students' achievements. Therefore, it is paramount for principals to understand how their leadership practices affect teacher efficacy and student achievement in the long run.
References
Anderson, M. (2017). Transformational leadership in education: A review of existing literature. International Social Science Review, 93(1), 4. Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership. Psychology Press. Çevik, G. B. (2017). The Roles of Life Satisfaction, Teaching Efficacy, and Self-esteem in Predicting Teachers' Job Satisfaction. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(3), 338-346. Chen, S. S. (2014). The effects of transformational leadership of principals on student academic achievement (Doctoral dissertation). Kim, K. R., & Seo, E. H. (2018). The relationship between teacher efficacy and students' academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 46(4), 529-540. Türkoglu, M. E., Cansoy, R., & Parlar, H. (2017). Examining Relationship between Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(5), 765-772.
