Stance of numerous leadership styles and their effect on teaching to sustain academic performance at the high school level

The present study focused on three leadership, autocratic, democratic, and Laissez-faire, to sustain high school academic performance. To accomplish this, we used quantitative survey method and employed convenient sampling technique to collect data from 358 high school teachers/educators in various regions of Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. Data collection consisted of administering a survey questionnaire that used a five-point Likert Scale. The questionnaire included four variables: one dependent variable, sustained academic Performance, and three independent variables: Autocratic Leadership, Democratic Leadership, and Laissez-faire Leadership. Following data collection, Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the questionnaire's reliability, while the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was utilized to confirm the normality of the data. Formal statistical analysis included conducting a correlation study to ascertain the association between Autocratic Leadership, Democratic Leadership, and Laissez-faire Leadership with SAP and the impact of each independent variable on the dependent variable. CFA and SEM were conducted using Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) 8.80. These tests were used to identify relationships and differences among the study participants' opinions. The findings indicate that democratic leadership has a highly positive impact, and autocratic leadership has a moderate impact on sustaining academic performance. In contrast, the laissez-faire leadership style has the lowest impact on sustaining academic performance. Based on the study's findings, it is recommended that school teachers/educators should use a combination of democratic and authoritarian leadership styles in their classes to promote cooperation, student participation, ownership in the learning process and leading to their exceptional performance. Furthermore, the findings suggest that schools should actively promote teacher involvement in administrative tasks and decision-making. Ultimately, by integrating the advantages of both types, it is possible to cultivate a comprehensive educational experience that promotes scholarly achievement and equips students with the necessary skills to tackle future problems.