The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between teachers' transformational leadership and high school students' self-efficacy, both perceived by the students. For this purpose, relevant literature and preceding studies were reviewed,...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between teachers' transformational leadership and high school students' self-efficacy, both perceived by the students. For this purpose, relevant literature and preceding studies were reviewed, and thereby, three study points were set up; 'how about the transformational leadership of teachers in charged perceived by the high school students?; 'How about students' perceived self-efficacy?; What relationship exists between teachers' transformational leadership and students' self-efficacy?
In order to find the answers to the above study points, the theories about transformational leadership and self-efficacy were reviewed, and thereupon, a questionnaire was developed based on the preceding studies conducted by Bass & Avolio's (1990) and Kwon In-tak (1994) and Noh Jong-hee (1996). Then, each 100 students (500 students in total) were randomly sampled from the high schools under each regional office (5 offices in total) of Inchon Metropolitan Office of Education to be subject to the questionnaire survey. 483 responses out of those returned were used for the final analysis.
The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical program. Before the main analysis, reliability was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients to examine goodness-of-fit of the data. Then, the data about students' demographic variables, teachers' transformational leadership and students' self-efficacy both perceived by students were analyzed basically, and thereby, means, SDs, frequencies and percentiles were calculated by item. On the other hand, T-test and ANOVA were performed in order to analyze differences of teachers' transformational leadership and students' self-efficacy depending on respondents' demographic variables. In case significant differences were found in ANOVA, they were subjected to the multiple comparison analysis using Scheffe's test. And the correlation analysis was performed to analyze how much teachers' transformational leadership perceived by students were correlated with students' perceived self-efficacy.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows with its conclusions;
First, as a result of analyzing the sub-factors of teachers' transformational leadership perceived by students, it was found that the leadership for 'encouragement for solidarity' was perceived highest, while the leadership for 'intellectual stimulation' or 'individualized concern' was perceived relatively low.
Second, teachers' transformational leadership perceived by students differed significantly depending on such demographic variables of students' as gender and grade. As a result of analyzing differences of teachers' transformational leadership perceived by students depending on their gender, it was found that girls perceived it more than boys in overall terms. And as a result of comparing 4 sub-factors of teachers' transformational leadership between boys and girls, it was found that the leadership was perceived more by girls than boys in all sub-factors.
Next, teachers' transformational leadership perceived by students differed significantly depending on students' grades. In overall terms, 3rd-graders perceived the leadership most, followed by 1st graders and 2nd graders in their order. On the other hand, as a result of comparing 4 sub-factors depending on grades, teachers' leadership was perceived highest by 1st graders in terms of individualized concern. In terms of the other 3 sub-factors, however, teachers' leadership was perceived highest by 3rd graders. Such differences were significant statistically.
Third, as a result of analyzing students' perceived self-efficacy by sub-factor, 'self-control' was perceived highest, followed by 'self-confidence' and 'difficulty of tasks.'
Fourth, as a result of analyzing differences of students' perceived self-efficacy depending on gender and grades, it was found that students' perceived self-efficacy did not differ significantly depending on gender, but differed significantly in terms of the sub-factor 'self-confidence'; boys were more self-confident than girls.
Next, there was found no significant difference of students' perceived self-efficacy depending on grades. However, there were found some significant differences in such sub-factors as 'self-control' and 'difficulty of tasks' depending on grades. In particular, 1st graders scored highest on average in these sub-factors.
Fifth, teachers' transformational leadership perceived by students was found positively correlated with students' perceived self-efficacy. And as a result of analyzing correlations between 4 sub-factors of teachers' transformational leadership and 3 sub-factors of students' self-efficacy, it was found that 'encouragement for better results' and 'intellectual stimulation' of the transformational leadership were significantly correlated with 'self-control' and 'difficulty of tasks' of self-efficacy. Charisma was significantly correlated with such sub-factors of self-efficacy as 'self-confidence' and 'difficulty of tasks,' while 'individualized concern' was significantly correlated with 'self-control.' All in all, the sub-factor of the transformational leadership 'encouragement for better results' was most highly correlated with the subfactor of self-efficacy 'self-control.' And 'charisma' was negatively correlated with 'self-confidence', which suggests that the stronger teacher's charisma tendency is, students are less self-confident.
Sixth, the multiple regression analysis was performed by setting 'students' self-efficacy' as dependent variable and 4 sub-factors of 'teachers' transformational leadership' as independent variables. As a result, it was found that the regression model induced was significant, but that only 'encouragement for solidarity' was significant statistically among 4 sub-factors of the leadership.
Based on the above findings and conclusions, the following suggestions are put forwards;
First, it is hoped that this study will be followed up by future studies which will determine the reasons why teachers' transformational leadership is perceived differently depending on students' gender and grades and thereby, analyze the effect of such different perceptions.
Second, although the reasons why students' perceived self-efficacy differ depending on their gender and grades are diversified, it is required of the future studies to analyze the specific reasons for such differences of perception to find the ways to improve their perceived self-efficacy, assuming that self-efficacy is important and essential to them, and additionally, analyze teachers' influence over students in association with teachers' transformational leadership.
Third, since teachers' transformational leadership perceived by high school students are positively correlated with students' perceived self-efficacy in overall terms, it is possible that the higher teachers' transformational leadership is perceived by students, their perceived self-efficacy is higher. Also, students' perceived self-efficacy can be predicted in reference to teachers' transformational leadership. Accordingly, teachers are obliged to develop their transformational leadership in a balanced way and form a close human relationship with students, so that students can perceive their leadership highly. Furthermore, teachers are requested to make more efforts and develop themselves so that sub-factors of their transformational leadership can have mutually complementary and positive relationship with those of students' self-efficacy to help improve students' self-efficacy.