ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between transformational leadership and academic
optimism. Elementary schools in northern Alabama were the focus of this study. Sixty-seven
schools participated in this study. Faculty members of the participating schools completed two
survey instruments: Leithwood’s school leadership survey and the school academic optimism
survey (SAOS). There were 470 respondents to the instruments. All data were aggregated to the
school level.
The independent variable for this study was Leithwood’s model of transformational
leadership. Conceptually, Leithwood defines transformational leadership as a form of principal
leadership that moves individuals toward a level of commitment to achieve school goals by
setting direction, developing people, redesigning the organization, and managing the
instructional program.
The dependent variable of this study was academic optimism. Hoy, Tarter, and Hoy
defined academic optimism as the general and collective confidence of a school’s faculty that
conditions exist for students to achieve academic success. Academic optimism is comprised of
three organizational characteristics: teacher collective efficacy, academic emphasis, and faculty
trust in clients.
Prior research has found that principal activities focusing on the learning environment,
emphasizing academic achievement, and establishing high performance goals can influence
student achievement. Furthermore, previous studies support the positive relationship between
transformational leadership and student engagement, classroom instruction, teacher commitment,organizational learning, school culture, job satisfaction, changed teacher practices, and
particularly collective efficacy. This study theorized that transformational leadership and
academic optimism would be positively correlated.
Results of correlation testing indicated that Leithwood’s model of transformational
leadership is positively related to the academic optimism of the school. The results of linear
regression testing showed that each individual category of Leithwood’s model of
transformational leadership was also positively related to academic optimism. These results
provided support for the hypotheses of this study; the greater the degree of transformational
leadership the greater the degree of academic optimism in a school.
ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between transformational leadership and academic
optimism. Elementary schools in northern Alabama were the focus of this study. Sixty-seven
schools participated in this study. Faculty members of the participating schools completed two
survey instruments: Leithwood’s school leadership survey and the school academic optimism
survey (SAOS). There were 470 respondents to the instruments. All data were aggregated to the
school level.
The independent variable for this study was Leithwood’s model of transformational
leadership. Conceptually, Leithwood defines transformational leadership as a form of principal
leadership that moves individuals toward a level of commitment to achieve school goals by
setting direction, developing people, redesigning the organization, and managing the
instructional program.
The dependent variable of this study was academic optimism. Hoy, Tarter, and Hoy
defined academic optimism as the general and collective confidence of a school’s faculty that
conditions exist for students to achieve academic success. Academic optimism is comprised of
three organizational characteristics: teacher collective efficacy, academic emphasis, and faculty
trust in clients.
Prior research has found that principal activities focusing on the learning environment,
emphasizing academic achievement, and establishing high performance goals can influence
student achievement. Furthermore, previous studies support the positive relationship between
transformational leadership and student engagement, classroom instruction, teacher commitment,organizational learning, school culture, job satisfaction, changed teacher practices, and
particularly collective efficacy. This study theorized that transformational leadership and
academic optimism would be positively correlated.
Results of correlation testing indicated that Leithwood’s model of transformational
leadership is positively related to the academic optimism of the school. The results of linear
regression testing showed that each individual category of Leithwood’s model of
transformational leadership was also positively related to academic optimism. These results
provided support for the hypotheses of this study; the greater the degree of transformational
leadership the greater the degree of academic optimism in a school.
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