Question 1
Discuss the role of leadership in the organization and management of school progress. How can school
leaders create an environment that fosters continuous improvement in both academic and non-
academic areas?
In our quest to understand the role played by leadership in the effective organization and management
of school progress, it is important to first understand who the school leadership is made-up of, as well as
who are the benefactors of an effective school leadership. Leadership in the school setting consists of
head teachers, deputy head teachers and head of houses (HODs). Their efficiency in playing their role in
the organization and management of school progress will directly benefit the teachers, general staff,
students and the community as they are a integral part of the path to achieving the school's vision/
goals.
In their academic journal, Leadership styles and Their Applications For Effective School Administration,
Dr. H. J. Mshelia and Olukayode Emmanuel, highlight Transactional Leadership and Transformational
leadership, amongst other leadership styles, as some of the leadership styles that school leaders can
emplore for effective organization and management of school progress (Mshelia &Olukayode, 2022).
Transactional Leadership is a type of leadership that focuses maintaining status quo.i.e. leaders do not
consult with the academic body. Instead they give orders to ensure that academic body comply and
reward them according to their performance (Bass & Avolio, 1997). This type of leadership style
emphasizes need for rigid solid structures thus hardly encouraging innovation and creativity.
Recognition is given to those that perform well and punishment to those that fail to achieve prescribed
tasks. This kind of leadership thus fosters competitiveness amongst teachers, ultimately leading to less
teamwork spirit. Reward or recognition is used as a means of motivation and it can be given in the form
of a salary increment or promotion, for teachers. As for students, motivation is given in exchange for
compliance, in the form of high grades, positions of responsibility, etc. students who fail to achieve their
tasks are promised punishment in the form of low grades, being disqualified from progressing to the
next level of their academic journey, etc.
Transformational Leadership is the opposite of Transactional Leadership. The transformational leader
works to transform an organization through enthusiasm, energy, and having an excellent vision for
the future. A transformational leader cares about employees and wants them to succeed (Graduate
programs for educators, 2024). This time of leadership style encourages team work, creativity and
innovation as the leader consults teachers in the decision making process, allows them to think
outside the box, is interested in the teacher's wellbeing and encourages them to be proactive. This
means transformational leaders put emphasis on the development of their workforce as they hold the
view that a well developed and satisfied teacher results in a good performing teacher (Garfer,
Jacques, Vracheva, Connolly, 2023). Just as this leadership style engages, so it does the student when
being applied by a teacher. As a result of feeling included in the proceedings of the learning process,
the student is more likely to develop an interest in the particular teacher's subject.
Third but not least, is Instructional leadership. This style of leadership is defined by Jenkins (2009) as
leading learning communities, in which staff members meet on a regular basis to discuss their work,
collaborate to solve problems, reflect on their jobs, and take responsibility for what students learn.
Although relatively new, this style of leadership puts a lot of focus on the continuous improvement of
the teachers. This is utterly vital as it allows the teacher to continue improving their skills and in turn
better their performance. Similar to transformational leadership, this style encourages team work and
responsibility for what they teach, all the while allowing to teachers to be part of the think tank
towards achieving the school's vision and goals.
There are multiple strategies/ tactics that the school leadership can use to
