Comparative Relationship Between Headteachers’ Leadership Style and Teachers’ Service Engagement among Government Secondary Schools in Mitooma District, Uganda

This study investigated the relationship between leadership style and service engagement of of teachers in government aided secondary schools, and to establish the relationship between laissez-faire leadership style and work engagement of teachers in government aided secondary schools in Mitooma District in Uganda. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design on a sample of 102 teachers and six head teachers from a total population of 293, including 280 teachers and 13 head teachers, respectively. A mixed method was used. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and an interview guide. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, namely frequencies, percentages, and means, and inferential analyses in terms of correlation and regression analyses using SPSS software version 27, while qualitative data were analysed by first transcribing the interview results into text, coding sub-themes and themes were also carried out based on the research objectives. The findings revealed that there is a positive significant relationship between transformational and laissez-faire leadership and work engagement of teachers among others. It was concluded that transformational leadership style is essential for work engagement of teachers, transactional leadership style is not imperative for work engagement of teachers, and laissez-faire leadership style is critical for work engagement of teachers. The study recommends that head teachers should make effort to provide a transformational leadership style to promote work engagement of teachers, head teachers should minimize use of transactional leadership style to work engagement of teachers, and head teachers should be flexible to give freedom to teachers by practicing some laissez-faire leadership to promote work engagement of teachers.