Leadership Styles and School Effectiveness

Introduction   The human mind is like a mine bestowed with billions of innovative seeds, and every one of those seeds can grow a fruitful tree of new inventions. At home, the education of a newly born child starts from the lap of a mother, for whom it is an obligatory privilege to look after her child. Education starting in the dark-age has been transformed as it has passed from mind to mind and race to race, based on spiritually traditional ways of learning, observations, and experiences. The acquisition of knowledge began with the informal learning process at home to formal learning in institutions or schools. In this way, knowledge was progressively traveling down different paths and in different ways through human minds.             In recent years, the advent of new technologies from photocopying machines to computer programs, optical scanners, and telecommunication networks has contributed to knowledge transformation. Moreover, today, the dominance of digital technologies and distorted media information has set the stage for the human mind to be idle. It can be thought that the idleness of mind is not due to insufficient or a lack of information and ideas for knowledge development but rather the inevitability of creating multiple choices and overloading us with information. Here, the ramifications of the effects of technology to knowledge formation is moving backwards—meaning due to a superabundance of information carried by media and technology, we are no longer unperturbed with what we think is right or wrong, it does indeed bring us to the moorings of relativism, despising absolutes and dogmatic standards of morality and ethics.             These are considerably the significant effects of the new technology and information to our knowledge formation. Even how rigid and strenuous are the implementation of academic discipline, the problem always lies on individual level. However, academic institution plays a primal role to individuals' life. In any aspects of man's interaction, education is vital. Since, academic institution serves to be a repository of proper knowledge and information that is to be transmitted to every student, the role of academicians, instructors, educators, and especially administrators are deemed significant and vital. Background               Scholars believe that administrators play an important role in the operation and management of organization of the school. Mirkamali (1995) identifies the role of administrators as the "main source and the driving force for the academic growth of students and organizational development of the whole institution. The success of one's institution on organizational and academic performance is recognized as administrators' effective methods of management and leadership styles. Moreover, Alagheband (1997) articulates that administrators' leadership style influences the efficacy and effectiveness of the academic institution where they are situated. Varaki (2003) establishes a basic assumption on principal's selection and use of leadership style and that is "based on his/her assumptions about human beings, human learning, and human nature. These philosophical assumptions connote a significant role to administrators' ability of choosing a leadership style that would be appropriately applied and effectively support the goals and mission of an academic institution. Such management and educational ideas about leadership styles in relation to school effectiveness positions school administrators in particular principals, supervisors, and others as predictors and actors in creating culture, climate, and effectiveness of an organization and those manipulations affect the job satisfaction of people within the organization. According to Maehr & Braskamp (1986), "by exercising certain leadership behaviors, principals can influence their school's instructional environment, a complex constellation involving the attitudes and behaviors of teachers, students, parents, and the community at large toward education."             Gathering all of these literatures, it can be posited that leadership styles of administrators, such as principals, teachers, supervisors, and lecturers are significant in making an effective academic performance of the school. In order to make an effectiveness and efficacy in academic activities, programs, and other related performances, administrators should convene to create effective programs that gear towards academic excellence, yet, only if leaders have the ability acquire effective leadership styles. Statement of the Problem               The paper seeks to answer the following problems: What is the relevance of leadership in administering an academic organization or institution? What is the role of leadership styles in the pursuit of academic excellence? What are the role of administrators and their leadership in the effectiveness of the academic institution where they are situated? How do leadership styles and the culture become significant to consider by the administrators for school effectiveness? How do leadership styles support the academic institution's effectiveness? How do administrators selectively choose an effective leadership styles for school effectiveness? Objectives             This study aims to (1) add new information and evaluation on leadership styles used by administrators in administering their respective schools, (2), to assess the role of leadership styles in creating and establishing a school effectiveness, (3) to identify specific elements that are important in school effectiveness other than leadership styles, (4) to create a direct link between administrators' leadership styles and the school effectiveness. Significance of the Study             The importance of the study is primarily on helping administrators cope with the challenges of the times with regards to uplifting and developing a school to be competitive and adoptive to the changes of the times. The pursuit for academic excellence is only attainable through an effective management and strategic pedagogies of administrators, lecturers, and teachers. This study aims to provide fresh and old administrators to see and examine what are the new challenges that hinder school effectiveness and what are effective leadership styles to be use in fronting the challenges. Methodology             This research will use descriptive random selective study as its design. The selection of respondents and schools to be evaluated will depend on the availability and willingness of administrators to participate. However, as a tentative program, the study will use three schools and 250 randomly selected respondents coming from students and 150 randomly selected administrators coming from three selected schools.             The study will use Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Form M, Leadership Effectiveness and Adaptability Description Instrument and Biographical Data Sheet for Administrators and Principals. The use of survey questionnaires, focus discussion, and interview will be delivered personally and some interviews will be via telephone calls.