Leadership and School Performances: An Exploratory Study of Transformational and Instructional Leadership Styles of the School Principals in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of school principals' transformational and instructional leadership styles on academic performance in Sri Lanka. School leadership is essential for increasing teacher effectiveness, student learning, and overall school quality, particularly in a highly centralized education system. The study uses a qualitative research approach and draws on secondary data from academic journal articles, research papers, and prior empirical studies on school leadership. A qualitative content analysis was utilised to uncover main themes regarding how leadership styles affect teacher motivation, school culture, instructional methods, and student accomplishment. According to the findings, transformational leadership improves teacher commitment, cooperation, and school culture by fostering shared vision, innovation, and ethical behaviours. Through monitoring, professional development, and curricular support, instructional leadership improves teaching quality and student academic success. However, many principals struggle to enact instructional leadership due to administrative overload and limited professional preparation, highlighting the need to strengthen leadership development to improve school performance in Sri Lanka.