SINTA

3.2

Impact

Scholar

11

H-Index

Journal of Social Knowledge Education (JSKE)

an Open Access Journal


Exploring Cambodian Teachers' Views on Transformational Leadership of School Directors

Share
  • Purpose of the Study: To explore Cambodian teachers’ perceptions of their school directors’ transformational leadership and analyze variations based on gender, age, educational background, and provincial location.

    Methodology: The study employed ANOVA for statistical analysis, using surveys with 20 statements to assess five aspects of transformational leadership. Data collection involved 639 participants across four provinces.

    Main Findings: No gender differences were observed. Significant differences existed by age, education, and province. Younger teachers (20–30 years) showed more positive attitudes and educational attainment influenced leadership perception.

    Novelty/Originality of this Study: This study highlights how age, education, and location shape teachers’ views on directors’ transformational leadership, emphasizing the need for adaptive leadership approaches to address diverse teacher expectations in Cambodia​ , where this type of study has not been done so far.

  • How to cite

    [1]
    S. Em, S. Mok, and R. Sam, “Exploring Cambodian Teachers’ Views on Transformational Leadership of School Directors”, Jo. Soc. Know. Ed, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 76–89, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.37251/jske.v6i1.1364.
  • 543
    Abstract views
    313
    Downloads

    Metrics — Badges

    1. S. Em, S. Khan, and N. Nun, “Education system in Cambodia: A brief review from the prehistoric period to the present, and an education strategic plan for the future,” FIRE, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 141–164, 2023. doi: 10.32865/fire202273320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32865/fire202273320
    2. S. Em, S. Mok, and R. Sam, “Perspectives on directors’ transformational leadership: Insights from Cambodian high school teachers,” JGenEducHumanit, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 411–432, 2024. doi: 10.58421/gehu.v3i4.328. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v3i4.328
    3. S. Em, "Effectiveness of school directors’ transformational leadership on teachers’ self-efficacy and job performance in Cambodia," Doctoral thesis, The University of Cambodia, 2025.
    4. P. Kwan, “Is transformational leadership theory passé? Revisiting the integrative effect of instructional leadership and transformational leadership on student outcomes,” Educ. Admin. Q., vol. 56, no. 2, pp. 321–349, 2020. doi: 10.1177/0013161X19861137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X19861137
    5. M. Ş. Bellibaş, S. Gümüş, and Y. Liu, “Does school leadership matter for teachers’ classroom practice? The influence of instructional leadership and distributed leadership on instructional quality,” Sch. Eff. Sch. Improv., vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 387–412, 2021. doi: 10.1080/09243453.2020.1858119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2020.1858119
    6. J. J. B. Mijs and E. L. Roe, “Is America coming apart? Socioeconomic segregation in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and social networks, 1970–2020,” Social. Compass, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 1–16, 2021. doi: 10.1111/soc4.12884. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12884
    7. T. Huang, C. Hochbein, and J. Simons, “The relationship among school contexts, principal time use, school climate, and student achievement,” Educ. Manag. Admin. Leadersh., vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 305–323, 2020. doi: 10.1177/1741143218802595. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218802595
    8. C. Sinnema, A. J. Daly, Y.-H. Liou, and J. Rodway, “Exploring the communities of learning policy in New Zealand using social network analysis: A case study of leadership, expertise, and networks,” Int. J. Educ. Res., vol. 99, pp. 1–16, 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2019.10.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.10.002
    9. K. Leithwood, “A review of evidence about equitable school leadership,” Educ. Sci., vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 1–49, 2021. doi: 10.3390/educsci11080377. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080377
    10. S. Lillejord and K. Børte, “Trapped between accountability and professional learning? School leaders and teacher evaluation,” Prof. Dev. Educ., vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 274–291, 2020. doi: 10.1080/19415257.2019.1585384. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1585384
    11. S. Goldfinch and J. Halligan, “Reform, hybridization, and revival: The status of new public management in Australia and New Zealand,” Public Manag. Rev., vol. 26, no. 9, pp. 2542–2560, 2024. doi: 10.1080/14719037.2024.2329770. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2024.2329770
    12. J. Lambrecht, J. Lenkeit, A. Hartmann, A. Ehlert, M. Knigge, and N. Spörer, “The effect of school leadership on implementing inclusive education: How transformational and instructional leadership practices affect individualized education planning,” Int. J. Inclus. Educ., vol. 26, no. 9, pp. 943–957, 2022. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1752825. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1752825
    13. K. Leithwood, D. Jantzi, and R. Steinbach, “Leadership and other conditions that foster organizational learning in schools,” in Organizational Learning in Schools, K. Leithwood and K. S. Louis, Eds. Taylor & Francis, 1999, pp. 67–90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003077459-5
    14. K. Promchart and W. Potipiroon, Transformational Leadership and Turnover Intentions Among School Teachers in the Deep South of Thailand, 2020.
    15. D. Jaroliya and R. Gyanchandani, “Transformational leadership style: A boost or hindrance to team performance in the IT sector,” XJM, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 87–105, 2022. doi: 10.1108/XJM-10-2020-0167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/XJM-10-2020-0167
    16. M. N. Khattak, R. Zolin, and N. Muhammad, “Linking transformational leadership and continuous improvement: The mediating role of trust,” Manag. Res. Rev., vol. 43, no. 8, pp. 931–950, 2020. doi: 10.1108/MRR-06-2019-0268. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-06-2019-0268
    17. S. Al-Husseini, I. El Beltagi, and J. Moizer, “Transformational leadership and innovation: The mediating role of knowledge sharing amongst higher education faculty,” Int. J. Leadersh. Educ., vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 670–693, 2021. doi: 10.1080/13603124.2019.1588381. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2019.1588381
    18. H. Antonopoulou, C. Halkiopoulos, O. Barlou, and G. N. Beligiannis, “Transformational leadership and digital skills in higher education institutes: During the COVID-19 pandemic,” Emerg. Sci. J., vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1–15, 2021. doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-01252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.28991/esj-2021-01252
    19. S. J. Alainati, N. S. Almonawer, and F. A. Al-Hammad, “Transformational leadership in education: Review of literature,” Int. J. Bus. Manag., vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 73–88, 2023. doi: 10.24940/theijbm/2023/v11/i2/BM2302-016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24940/theijbm/2023/v11/i2/BM2302-016
    20. J. Caulton, “Come, See, Do: Igniting the Spark that Energizes Followers,” in Followership and Faith at Work, D. J. Dean and R. B. Huizinga, Eds. Springer, 2022, pp. 49–69. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-90614-6_4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90614-6_4
    21. M. E. Obmerga, “For whom the bell (really) tolls: A grounded theory of millennial academic supervisors’ sensemaking of communitarian values as a springboard to enrich their transformational leadership attributes,” Int. J. Leadersh. Educ., vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 283–315, 2024. doi: 10.1080/13603124.2020.1862919. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2020.1862919
    22. Y. Owusu-Agyeman, “Transformational leadership and innovation in higher education: A participative process approach,” Int. J. Leadersh. Educ., vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 694–716, 2021. doi: 10.1080/13603124.2019.1623919. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2019.1623919
    23. N. Siangchokyoo, R. L. Klinger, and E. D. Campion, “Follower transformation as the linchpin of transformational leadership theory: A systematic review and future research agenda,” Leadership. Q., vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 1–18, 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.101341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.101341
    24. X. Wang, Z. Liu, X. Wen, and Q. Xiao, “An implicit leadership theory lens on leader humility and employee outcomes: Examining individual and organizational contingencies,” Tourism Manag., vol. 89, 104448, 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104448. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104448
    25. M. C. Crowley, Lead From the Heart: Transformational Leadership for the 21st Century. Hay House Incorporated, 2022.
    26. J. Chua and O. B. Ayoko, “Employees’ self-determined motivation, transformational leadership, and work engagement,” J. Manag. Organ., vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 523–543, 2021. doi: 10.1017/jmo.2018.74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2018.74
    27. T. B. McNair, S. Albertine, N. McDonald Jr., T. M., and M. A. Cooper, Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success. John Wiley & Sons, 2022.
    28. J. M. Gichuhi, 2021, Jul. 2, “Shared leadership and organizational resilience: A systematic literature review. | EBSCOhost.” Available: https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/gcd:152304991?sid=ebsco:plink:crawler&id=ebsco:gcd:152304991.
    29. G. Maheshwari, “Influence of teacher-perceived transformational and transactional school leadership on teachers’ job satisfaction and performance: A case of Vietnam,” Leadership. Policy Sch., vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 876–890, 2022. doi: 10.1080/15700763.2020.1866020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2020.1866020
    30. P. Hawkins, Leadership Team Coaching: Developing Collective Transformational Leadership. Kogan Page, 2011.
    31. C. D. Francisco, “School principals’ transformational leadership styles and their effects on teachers’ self-efficacy,” Int. J. Adv. Res., vol. 7, no. 10, pp. 622–635, 2019. doi: 10.21474/IJAR01/9875. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/9875
    32. M. Eliophotou Menon and A. Lefteri, “The link between transformational leadership and teacher self-efficacy,” Education, vol. 142, no. 1, pp. 42–52, 2021.
    33. M. A. Zainal and M. E. E. Mohd Matore, “The influence of teachers’ self-efficacy and school leaders’ transformational leadership practices on teachers’ innovative behavior,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 18, no. 12, 6423, 2021. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18126423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126423
    34. Y. Rachmawati and S. Suyatno, “The effect of principals’ competencies on teachers’ job satisfaction and work commitment,” Part. Educ. Res., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 362–378, 2021. doi: 10.17275/per.21.21.8.1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17275/per.21.21.8.1
    35. M. Salanova, A. M. Rodríguez-Sánchez, and K. Nielsen, “The impact of group efficacy beliefs and transformational leadership on followers’ self-efficacy: A multilevel-longitudinal study,” Curr. Psychol., vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 2024–2033, 2022. doi: 10.1007/s12144-020-00722-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00722-3
    36. M. Z. Gong and N. Subramaniam, “Principal leadership style and school performance: Mediating roles of risk management culture and management control systems use in Australian schools,” Acc. Fin., vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 2427–2466, 2020. doi: 10.1111/acfi.12416. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12416
    37. Ü. Kalkan, F. Altınay Aksal, Z. Altınay Gazi, R. Atasoy, and G. Dağlı, “The relationship between school administrators’ leadership styles, school culture, and organizational image,” Sage Open, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1–15, 2020. doi: 10.1177/2158244020902081. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020902081
    38. I. Wilson Heenan, N. Lafferty, and P. M. McNamara, “Enactment of transformational school leadership—Insights from primary school and system leaders,” Educ. Sci., vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 1–38, 2024. doi: 10.3390/educsci14060557. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060557
    39. I. Hajiali, A. M. Fara Kessi, B. Budiandriani, E. Prihatin, M. M. Sufri, and A. Sudirman, “Determination of work motivation, leadership style, employee competence on job satisfaction and employee performance,” Golden Ratio Hum. Resour. Manag., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 57–69, 2022. doi: 10.52970/grhrm.v2i1.160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52970/grhrm.v2i1.160
    40. A. B. Bakker, J. Hetland, O. Kjellevold Olsen, and R. Espevik, “Daily transformational leadership: A source of inspiration for follower performance?,” Eur. Manag. J., vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 700–708, 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.emj.2022.04.004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.04.004
    41. I. U. Khan, R. U. Amin, and N. Saif, “Individualized consideration and idealized influence of transformational leadership: Mediating role of inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation,” Int. J. Leadersh. Educ., pp. 1–11, 2022. doi: 10.1080/13603124.2022.2076286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2022.2076286
    42. L. R. Farahnak, M. G. Ehrhart, E. M. Torres, and G. A. Aarons, “The influence of transformational leadership and leader attitudes on subordinate attitudes and implementation success,” J. Leadersh. Organ. Stud., vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 98–111, 2020. doi: 10.1177/1548051818824529. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051818824529
    43. A. N. Khan and N. A. Khan, “The nexuses between transformational leadership and employee green organizational citizenship behavior: Role of environmental attitude and green dedication,” Bus. Strategy Environ., vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 921–933, 2022. doi: 10.1002/bse.2926. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2926
    44. R. Gao, W. H. Murphy, R. E. Anderson, “Transformational leadership effects on salespeople’s attitudes, striving, and performance,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 110, pp. 237–245, 2020. DOI : 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.023
    45. L. Li and Y. Liu, “An integrated model of principal transformational leadership and teacher leadership that is related to teacher self-efficacy and student academic performance,” Asia Pac. J. Educ., vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 661–678, 2022. doi: 10.1080/02188791.2020.1806036. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1806036
    46. D. Sirait, “The influence of principal transformational leadership, work culture, and work environment on teacher performance in state senior high schools throughout Banjarbaru city,” J. Adv. Educ. Philos., vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 391–400, 2021.
    47. M. Alzoraiki, A. R. Ahmad, A. A. Ateeq, G. M. A. Naji, Q. Almaamari, and B. A. H. Beshr, “Impact of teachers’ commitment to the relationship between transformational leadership and sustainable teaching performance,” Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 1–16, 2023. doi: 10.3390/su15054620. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054620
    48. J. Bloomfield and M. J. Fisher, “Quantitative research design,” J. Australas. Rehabil. Nurs. Assoc., vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 27–30, 2019. doi: 10.33235/jarna.22.2.27-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33235/jarna.22.2.27-30
    49. C. Sims, A. Carter, and A. Moore De Peralta, “Do servant, transformational, transactional, and passive avoidant leadership styles influence mentoring competencies for faculty? A study of a gender equity leadership development program,” Hum. Resour. Dev. Q., vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 55–75, 2021. doi: 10.1002/hrdq.21408. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21408
    50. H. Meng, “Analysis of the relationship between transformational leadership and educational management in higher education based on deep learning,” Comp. Intell. Neurosci., vol. 2022, 5287922, 2022. doi: 10.1155/2022/5287922. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5287922
    51. S. Em, “A review of different ideas concerning the characteristics of a good leader and shaping new ideas of an effective 21st-century leader,” JGenEducHumanit, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 13–34, 2023. doi: 10.58421/gehu.v2i1.53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v2i1.53