Transformational Leadership: Principals, Leadership Teams, and School Culture

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the relationships among principal transformational leadership, school leadership-team transformational leadership, and school culture. Twelve middle schools composed the sample population. Three surveys were used, each one focusing on collecting data related to principal leadership, team leadership, and school culture. Data were analyzed using correlational and regression statistics. Results show that the principal seems to be the primary source of identifying and articulating a vision and providing an appropriate model. Leadership teams seem to be the primary source of providing intellectual stimulation and holding high expectations. There is a mix of principal and leadership-team influence as sources of fostering commitment to group goals and providing individualized support. School culture factors reveal that the leadership team, rather than the principal, seems to exert the greatest influence upon collaborative leadership and learning partnership. The principal, rather than leadership teams, seems to exert the greatest influence upon teacher collaboration and unity of purpose. These and other findings are supportive of the current movement in education toward collaborative forms of school leadership. This study serves as a start for further exploration of principals, leadership teams, transformational leadership, and school culture.