ABSTRACT
A RESEARCH STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP COMPARING
LEADERSHIP STYLES OF THE PRINCIPAL
By
Kathleen A. Luft
May 2012
Dissertation supervised by James E. Henderson
This study investigated the relationship between two elementary building
administrators and their teaching faculty with regard to leadership styles of the principal.
Leadership analysis determined that one principal had a transformational leadership and
one principal who had a transactional leadership style.
A survey assessed the perceptions of elementary teachers regarding each school’s
climate, and their own empowerment resulting in teacher efficacy. Results were not
congruent with the review of literature.
The school led by the transactional principal underwent an intervention for a
twelve-week period during which changes were made based on the data from the pretests
administered. These interventions reflected a more transformational leadership
approach. The results of a second administration of surveys after interventions by the principal showed limited results in improving teacher efficacy and school climate. The
researcher also gained insights as to future studies and implications for practice such as
replication of the study using a longer intervention period and a larger sample within one
school or more schools in the study.