The Relationship of Transformational and Transactional Principal Leadership on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Secondary Student Performance in Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Abstract

This study investigate the perceptions of teachers as to how the leadership of their principal affects their job satisfaction at public secondary schools in Subang Jaya and in turn, the effect it has towards students’ academic performance. This quantitative research concentrates on how teacher’s perceptions of their principal’s leadership style enhance teachers’ job satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the unique impact that school principals have on teacher job satisfaction and finding which specific leadership practices were associated with teacher job satisfaction. The sample consists of 260 teachers from four public secondary schools at Subang Jaya, Selangor. \The instruments used for this study were the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Bass & Avolio (2004) and the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ) developed by Spector (1995). Data were analysed by using descriptive statistics, t-test, Chi Square test, Pearson Correlation test and Regression analysis. The researcher tried to explore transformational and transactional leadership styles to find out, which was more effective leadership style as principal in public secondary schools. The researcher conducted this study to obtained confirmation on the impact of principal leadership styles, and how it can affect teachers’ job satisfaction, and students’ performance in public secondary schools at Subang Jaya, Selangor. It was also to confirm that knowledge and perceptions of teachers can help principals to create a better working environment and helps to understand the needs of their teachers. The result of this study indicated that principal leadership style has a significant (p˂0.05) relationship to teacher job satisfaction in schools. Thus, the findings of this study contributed to the existing literature by providing a better understanding how teacher job satisfaction and student performance can be influence by the principal leadership styles.