Transformational leadership in Gozo’s primary schools

Abstract

We are living through momentous times when the Maltese educational system is undergoing ground-breaking educational reforms, which are shaping the future of our children. The recent removal of half-yearly examinations in all schools and the introduction of continuous assessment to monitor children’s progress seek to produce an educational system that caters for the wide range of needs and learning styles of all students. Hands-on learning is increasingly encouraged to make learning more meaningful, relevant to their lives and lifelong endeavour. The Malta National Curriculum Framework (2012) proposed that the Learning Outcomes Framework should be the lynchpin of learning and assessment throughout the years of compulsory schooling (NCF, 2012). The Learning Outcomes Framework supports and enables all stakeholders to have a clear picture of where the children are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to arrive there. The vision embraces a student-oriented perspective rather than a content oriented one. However, the daunting task to counter a diverse historical momentum needs more than an ideal vision. As Fullan (1993), succinctly put it, these new educational reforms are ‘pockets of innovation’, which heavily depend on the schools and the educators working in it. To this end, transformational leadership (TLP) whole-heartedly endorses these innovative ideas and allows them to filter into the system in a subtle way. Consequently, it is essential that leaders adopt a transformational style of ‘fearless leadership’ (Jackson and McDermott, 2012), characterised by a strong relationship between the leaders of the school and teachers for the benefit of all students. Bringing about a paradigm shift in leadership in our schools is a daunting challenge that leaders should nonetheless fearlessly take on. Indeed, adopting transformational strategies can make it possible for these new initiatives to take place in a more subtle way. To this end, this study investigated TLP in Gozo’s primary schools and how it affects teachers’ practices. This research also proposes recommendations for school improvement in Gozo’s primary schools. In line with the dissertation title ‘Transformational leadership in Gozo’s Primary Schools’, this research study examined the type of leadership mostly prevalent in Gozitan Primary Schools and investigated whether the dominant style was consonant with the best tenets underpinning transformational principles. The general consensus among researchers in this area was that TLP is necessary to motivate and guide schools to effect the necessary changes (Anderson, 2017). Three research questions guided the investigation into the multifaceted issue of TLP in Gozo’s primary schools. Data collected from Senior Leader Management Team as well as from teachers was analysed and evaluated, and valuable conclusions were drawn.