Transformational Leadership Practices of High- and Low-Performing School Principals in the Sidama Region, Ethiopia

The study explored principals' transformational leadership practices in high-performing and low-performing public secondary schools in Sidama Region, Ethiopia. Principals and teachers from high- and low-performing schools were purposefully selected using a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design. Quantitative data from structured questionnaires using a modified MLQ-based questionnaire and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were combined. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistical approaches, while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results show that the transformational leadership methods of principals in high-performing and low-performing schools differ significantly in terms of the academic achievement of their students. The overall mean score for the principals of the high-achieving schools was 3.86 (standard deviation = 0.42), indicating extensive transformative leadership methods. With an aggregate mean of 2.86 and a standard deviation of 0.53, on the other hand, principals of underperforming schools indicated lower levels of transformational leadership approaches. According to the study, students' academic performance is worse at schools with principals who exhibit fewer transformational leadership behaviors. It recommended that policymakers and institutions responsible for principal training focus on transformational leadership to improve student academic achievement.