Transformational Leadership Practices of Principals: A Review in Private Primary Schools in the East Coast of Malaysia

Abstract

Previous studies have shown varying findings regarding the level of transformational leadership practices among primary school principals. The factors causing these different levels also vary. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the level of transformational leadership practices among principals in private primary schools in the East Coast of Malaysia based on teachers' perspectives. A survey design using a quantitative approach was employed to collect data from 104 teacher samples from a population of 140 teachers in private Islamic primary schools under the Musleh Integrated Education Berhad (MIEB) network. The research instrument was adapted from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X), which measures four dimensions of transformational leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Data were analyzed descriptively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 29 (SPSS) to determine the level of transformational practices based on mean values. The findings showed that the principals' transformational leadership level was high, with the idealized influence dimension recording the highest score. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of educational leadership, particularly in the context of private primary schools in East Malaysia, and provides practical implications for improving school leadership practices. This study also fills the knowledge gap that exists in the literature on private educational leadership in Malaysia.