Influence of Principals' Transformational Leadership on Teachers' Job Commitment: A Study Conducted in Vadamaradchy Education Zone in Sri Lanka

This study examined how principals' transformational leadership affects teachers' commitment to their jobs and suggested practices that could enhance this commitment. The research was conducted in the Vadamaradchy education zone of Jaffna District, Sri Lanka, and utilized a correlational design. A structured questionnaire was distributed among 318 out of 1,820 teachers selected through stratified random sampling. The findings indicated that principals mostly practiced transformational leadership (M=4.09, SD=0.314), while teachers showed high commitment to their profession (M=4.07, SD=0.417). A moderate positive correlation was found (r=0.396, p<0.05), suggesting that transformational leadership significantly influences teachers' professional commitment (R²=0.189). These results emphasize principals' important role in managing schools and demonstrate that adopting transformational leadership can improve teacher engagement and educational outcomes. The study offers insights and strategies for education policymakers, school leaders, and management teams to enhance teacher motivation and overall school performance.