Transformational Leadership

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Introduction
Schools are influenced by varied internal and external factors in a constantly changing environment (Navickaite & Janiunaite, 2012). There is a growing consensus among stakeholders that the current progression of education must change drastically. Educational policy makers and leaders are examining an array of school improvement efforts, including rigorous curriculum; alignment of state and national standards and organizational restructuring. According to Fullan (2001), the more complex society gets, the more sophisticated leadership must become. School leaders wrestle with the intricate challenge to implement reform efforts, increase student achievement, serve the individual needs of all students and meet community demands (Goldring & Schuermann, 2009). Leading a change process is an essential and difficult process of school leadership. Effective school leaders are expected to manage and transcend a rapidly changing environment. Hence, leadership requires abilities such as being team-oriented, strong communicators, team players, problem solvers, change makers and transformation leaders (Balyer, 2012).
The past decade has given an emergence to conceptual models in educational leadership; two of the most prevalent models include instructional and transformational leadership. The distinguishing factors between the two models are the methods in which administrators and teachers improve teaching and learning. Instructional leaders emphasize school goals, the curriculum, instruction, and the school environment. Instructional leaders use strategies of coordination and control to align the school’s academic mission with strategy and action; hence, the duality of instructional leaders focusing on leading and managing (H...

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