Abstract

The objective of this research study is to analyze and comprehend principals and other stakeholders in school leadership philosophies and styles.Value the opinions of various stakeholders regarding the efficiency of the educational system, how these opinions relate to the leadership style used, and how this impacts the general educational atmosphere effectiveness, how they connect to a leader's style, and how it impacts the general learning environment in the classroom. The population consisted of head teachers, teachers, parents, administrators, and students from all types of schools either government or non government sector consisting male and female. The convenient sampling technique was followed and 1354 questionnaires were approached and the responses of 1000 stakeholders were analyzed. To understand the situation at different levels, a questionnaire, and In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Teachers have a positive view of democratic leaders as being dependable, receptive, accommodating, involved, and friendly. It is recommended to emphasising the concepts of empowerment, teamwork, and participatory approaches in the media, it is crucial to foster a democratic culture in the classroom.

Key Words

Effectiveness, Improvement, Stake-holders, Leadership Style, Connection

Introduction

Leadership is not just an activity by an individual in a social setting (Stogdill, 1950). It is a social act with others. It guides influences and leads teachers and others in school (Creemers, Peters, & Reynolds 2022). According to Murphy (1941) whereas management is focused on negotiating requests and resources, leadership entails defining a vision, achieving a shared vision, and challenging management. Coordinated and consistent problem-solving techniques. The abilities of leaders tend to differ greatly. Different leaders take different approaches to improvement depending on their context, purpose, culture, communication style, transaction style, and transformation style (Mintrop, 2020). In the process of improvement, closed and open leadership styles differ significantly. In-depth examination of Pakistanis' views on leadership and academic success was done in the study. Without being aware of their leadership style, leaders develop in accordance with their perceptions (Abdulkadiro-luet.al., 2020). Understanding their perspectives on the connection between leadership philosophies and academic success, as well as those of other interested parties, is crucial (Edmonds, 2020). The main objective of the study to provide a deeper and more practical comprehension of this relationship and how it may be advantageous for Pakistani society to those working in the field of education.A lot of research is there on school leadership and school effectiveness. The learning activities were initially seen as a challenge by school leaders, but with time they grew into a mediator and a boundary object within and between their practices, according to Wrethander and Liljenberg (2023), who related learning and school-leading approaches. Training in school leadership techniques may be beneficial for school leaders' professional development. In light of the intimate connection between school effectiveness and leadership, Pashiardis, Brauckmann, and Arlestig (2023) provided a critical analysis. Tan, Gao, & Shi. (2022) addressed the question of whether school leadership matters for the school's effectiveness and concluded that the key role is played by school leadership for the school's effectiveness. An effective and efficient schoolhead or principal is one of the key elements of effective schools. In Austrian primary schools, Kemethofer, Helm, and Warwas (2022) examined the impact of two centralized leadership methods on teaching quality (median) and student accomplishment (goal). These activities included setting directions and controlling instructional procedures. Here the current study addresses the question of what type of leadership style provides support in bringing effectiveness (Wu & Shen 2022). 

It is crucial to comprehend how educational leaders impact or are influenced by school effectiveness and school improvements programme by reading the literature on school leadership, school effectiveness, and school improvement utilize (Jacobsen, Andersen, Bøllingtoft & Eriksen, 2022). A school is an organisation, and organisations transform successfully when their leaders play a proactive role in driving progress, according to Fullan (1991). Hall and his colleagues (1980), who made this statement far earlier than Fullan, put it succinctly: "The amount to which innovations are adopted differs from school to school because of variances in the principal's actions and concerns." According to Aristotle, rhetoric serves as a link between the leader and the follower and that leadership, ethics, and rhetoric are interdependent. He made the following arguments: leadership should be viewed as personal development; organizational rules should not be allowed to trump morality; leadership is more about listening than speaking; it is important to pay attention to what is heard; and the common good should be the aim of leadership (Stogdill, 1950).

This Study's Objective

The purpose of this study was to better understand how principals and other contributors—including teachers, students, parents, school administrators, policy makers, and the community—perceive different leadership philosophies and styles to draw conclusions about how to improve schools. In light of these elements, this research sought to:

? Recognize presumptions about principle leadership philosophies and determine how they affect the process of school development by their working styles. 

? Analyze and comprehend principals and other stakeholders in school leadership philosophies and styles.

? Value the opinions of various stakeholders regarding the efficiency of the educational system, how these opinions relate to the leadership style used, and how this impacts the general educational atmosphere effectiveness, how they connect to a leader's style, and how it impacts the general learning environment in the classroom.

Research Conundrum

The primary research topics are:

1. How do school performance and progress 

relate to school leadership style?

2. How do school administrators feel about their management style?

3. How do other stakeholders, including teachers, students, parents, and the school principals, view the style of leadership?

4. How do principals and other stakeholders rate the efficacy of the school system?

Methodology of the Study

The population consisted of head teachers, teachers, parents, administrators, and students from all types of schools either government or non government sector consisting male and female. The convenient sampling technique was followed and 1354 questionnaires were approached and the responses of 1000 stakeholders were analyzed. To understand the situation at different levels, a questionnaire, and In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. A mixed method approach was adopted, the data collected questionnaire tool (Quantitative) was examined using the frequency distribution of rank order, whereas content analysis was used to examine qualitative data.

Quantitative Analysis of the Data Collected Through a Questionnaire Regarding Leadership Style

The questionnaire for the survey was taken up which had the following twelve options:

1. A person who likes to have all the powers and use them for the benefit of the school.

2. A person who likes to have all the powers and use them according to personal liking.

3. A person who likes to spend the maximum time in the office and has a policy of least interference in other's work.

4. A person who likes to wander around and likes to involve in various academic and co-academic activities.

5. A person who believes in democratic leadership and allows the staff members to work as a team with active participation.

6. A person who likes to do only what is asked by the authorities.

7. A person who is normally not very active but plays the role of firefighter when the problem arises.

8. A person who likes to keep distance from colleagues and co-workers to establish and maintain authority.

9. A person who brings in a lot of micro politics in the school to achieve personal and institutional goals.

10. A person who focuses attention on the academic results of students and is ready to take any step to achieve that.

11. A person who likes to lead from the front and sets personal examples in academic and administrative domains.

12. A person with an open-door policy provides easy excess to students. parents and teachers.

• For the responders (head teachers, teachers, parents, administrators, and students of public and private schools of both gender) to rank them according to their priority, Various Leadership Styles and Their Relevance to the Median Percentage of Rank We made the decision to divide the possibilities into seven leadership styles to make the analysis process simpler. These are the seven leadership philosophies that manifested:

• Missionary Authoritarians (benevolent dictators)

• Regulatory (self-centered)

• Democrat (Adopting democrative principles and a participatory way of doing things and decision making)

• Wanderer (Remains moving and all the time on round of the school)

• Armchair (like relaxing and doing things in an office setting)

• Fire Fighter (activated only if something goes wrong)

• Micro politician (exploits micropolitics to further their careers and personal interests). 



The authoritarian with a benevolent approach was the most popular leadership style, according to 33% of the participants. 25% of the individuals preferred democratic standards with a participatory attitude, compared to 14% who preferred Wanderer (active and mobile) and 12% who preferred authoritarian. Firefighter, armchair, and micro-politician types received 7%, 5%, and 4% of the least favourable responses, respectively. When taken as a whole, Missionary Authoritarian/Benevolent Autocrat is the favoured educational leadership style in Pakistan, demonstrating the continued viability of the English Public School System. The Democratic Participative leadership style, which indicates that many public and private schools are undergoing educational reform, is not far behind. An authoritarian way of leadership where leaders are self-interested stands lower, it is a very positive indicator.

Quantitative Analysis of the Data Collected Through a Questionnaire Regarding School Effectiveness

The questionnaire was also related to the insight of stakeholders about school efficacy and school improvement. Following twelve options were there in the questionnaire to prioritize each option regarding the qualities of a good school.

1. There is professional leadership given by an efficient and democratically participatory head teacher or principle.

2. Staff, students, and parents start working towards a common vision and set of objectives.

3. Everyone works in a pleasant setting that is conducive to learning.




4. Positive focus on efficient teaching is guaranteed.

5. The tools at our disposal are fully employed to produce excellent academic outcomes.

6. The development of students' whole personalities is emphasised.

7. Fair play and feedback to the instructors and students are given as constructive reinforcement.

8. The performance of the teachers, students, and entire school is regularly tracked.

9. The rights and obligations of students are given due consideration.

10. Positive parental involvement in their children's education is encouraged.

11. The highest attention is placed on instructors' professional development.

12. Through the role- modling of teachers, strong moral and social values are introduced.

The twelve possibilities were combined into seven school effectiveness signals, which are as follows, to facilitate data analysis:

1. Expertise in Leading (Positive leadership style, traits, and skills)

2. Mutual Vision (Objectives and targets set collectively).

3. Successful teaching and learning (Emphasis on good academic results)

4. Holistic Personality Development (Equal emphasis on curricular and co-curricular activities)

5. Reliable Monitoring (Check and balance system).

6. Active community involvement (parental involvement).

7. Head teachers for professional development of teachers (in-service instruction for teachers).

Quantitative Analysis of the Data Collected Through a Questionnaire from 1000 Respondents

Table 1

	Ranks
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Professional Leadership	230	60	60	90	110	30	60
Shared Vision	150	200	130	150	90	140	180
Effective Teaching Learning	220	360	280	310	250	310	230
Holistic Personality Growth	310	150	200	80	60	10	30
Effective Monitoring	30	30	90	220	180	260	190
Active Community Participation	0	50	30-	10-	80	30	140
Professional Development of Teachers	60	150	180	140	230	220	170
Total	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000

 To make ananalysis of the above mentioned table, it is concluded:
• Effective teaching-learning means a lot for the stake-holders nd majority of them supported most the view that a school with excellent academic results must be considered the most effective school as the score showed.
• Holistic personality development is quickly reaching to school effectiveness standards by demonstrating that the stakeholders are aware of the fact that all types of co-curricular activities based on curriculm are starting to receive the credit they really deserve as it gains importance.
• It's also becoming more evident and clearer that improving schools effectiveness requires the shared vision.
• Yet, community involvement and teacher professional development continue to take a second seat. To raise knowledge of these two components of school reform, further work is required.

Qualitative Analysis of the Data Collected Through In-depth Semi-structured Interviews

To know more closely the role of leadership styles and school effectiveness improvement as perceived by the stakeholders, the responses were analyzed and coded into the following categories:

• What should be the characteristics of a good school leader? 

• How can a qualified school leader improve school effectiveness?

• How can a good school leader develop?

• What are the main issues that affect the role of a good school leader?

• What strategies can minimize these problems?

To know more closely the role of school leaders in school effectiveness as perceived by the stakeholders, the questionnaire was analyzed in the light of the above-mentioned questions. For the analysis, the responses of various stakeholders have been coded into the following categories.

• Transformational Leadership style 

• Transactional Leadership style 

• Transmission Leadership style

• Role Model Leadership style

• Open Leadership style

• Closed Leadership style 

• Wanderer Leadership style 

• Lassiz-faire Leadership style

• Micro-political style

Various techniques have been used by the respondents to describe transformative leadership. In addition to having "detailed understanding," "brilliant thinking," "multifaceted strategy," "innovations and making new experiences for the school," "strong perseverance," "feeling of services are described and respected by the community," "free and fair style," "sportsmanship," and "parental involvement," a transformational leader in a school also represent the above mentioned qualities as the responses of the stakeholder's coding. It is simple to comprehend that these stakeholders, who are mostly unfamiliar with the concept of transformational leadership, look forward to a person with an adaptable vision, a team leader who wants to transform through teamwork, and a person who is polite but firm and uncompromising.

The second leadership strategy is transactional leadership. The stakeholders have identified a school head's managerial and administrative skills under the code. According to stakeholders, a transactional leader is a good administrator because they "do management in accordance with Islamic values," "get creative work from the teachers," "spend time on the welfare of the institution," "are dutiful and able to do their tasks on time," "have good management qualities," "perform duties with struggle and devotion," "are well aware of the matters of the school," "obey rules and regulations," and "possess fast observation." Transactional leadership focuses more on the end product and seeks to make a concept into reality. Transmission leadership is the third code that the questionnaire's respondents unlocked. Transmissional leadership may be missionary or purely dictatorial. In both situations, the idea of "control over" rules. In the first situation, the power is utilised to advance one's own interests, whereas in the second, it is used to advance the mission. Among them are: active in extracurricular and academic activities Stakeholders have provided numerous descriptions of this leadership. Can take any action for the discipline and performance of students "the activities. Rigorous with principles and steadfast in all things ". 'can command', 'uses all power for the good of the school', 'looks into all school things himself, uses instructors according to their talents', and 'does not accept any outside intervention in the affairs of school'

The Role modeling style/approach is leadership by example, which has been described in a variety of ways by stakeholders. "Practical Muslim" and "A full Pakistani in theory and practise" are two of them. "Punctual, orderly, sincere, and helpful." "sets an example for others," "is of good character," "honest and tolerant," "has common sense," "his words and deeds match," and "is trustworthy and reputable." Be bold and make decisions with integrity. At the school level, good educational reform can be influenced and brought about through example leadership as seen by stakeholders. Stakeholders appear to be searching for an ideal candidate, but there aren't many of them. Even if some school leaders only possess a portion of these traits, positive change can still occur.

Open leadership is suggestged by the stakeholders of the study in their interviewsat the third most supported styles. All groups should be able to approach an open leader with their issues because he should be approachable. He ought to be accessible at all times. He ought to schedule a meeting with the kids. He should pay attention to what his employees have to say about their issues and make every attempt to solve their problems. He ought to openly involve the parents, as an important stakrholder, in his academic and extracurricular pursuits. Effective listeners are open leaders. Also, they give everyone a lot of time to express their opinions on many issues. Choices are clear and operations are ethical.

Closed leadership is yet another method of managing a school. This strategy has received negative feedback from the stakeholders. Despite the fact that this approach is disliked by all parties involved, students fiercely oppose it. The following characteristics have been used to describe this style: 'keeps his distance from the staff, prefers to sit in his office, doesn't move much, is seldom seen by the kids, only attends functions, and doesn't pay attention to their issues. Teachers require an appointment to visit him, even prefects avoid going to his office out of fear, and he sees himself as an ethereal being. These remarks, which mostly came from students, reveal the leader's negative outlook. A closed leader typically prefers to keep a distance from diverse stakeholders in order to maintain his power, which may be put at risk by open engagement because it might reveal his flaws to the public.

According to the qualitative analysis, students prefer wandered leadership. The Wanderer leadership enjoys it as well, as evidenced by many parents and teachers. But for obvious reasons, the many of head teachers don't like this technique. The stakeholders' descriptions of the Wanderer's leadership in qualitative analysis are as follows: He "is visible everywhere," "likes to be right in the middle of things," "takes part in most of the co-curricular activities of the students," "does not like to sit in his office," and "enjoys a good rapport." Additionally, there are also unfavourable implications: "He has grown really too familiar; give us some breathing room." If not used excessively, wanderer leadership appears to be highly productive in terms of procedure. 

There are various ways to describe lasz-faire leadership, which is typically not particularly engaged and turns into stakeholders. 

A lassiz-faire leader is a non-interfering leader who is "very active if an issue is there," works as a fireman, allows people to work freely, "do not bother or interfere."    While most teachers and students look on the head teacher for guidance, leadership, participation, and mentoring, it is implied that laissez-faire methods don't perform well at the school level.

Micro-political Micropolitics is a strategy that the leadership adheres to. Others use it for the institution's good, while some leaders use it for their own personal gain. Nonetheless, it typically carries a negative meaning. Stakeholders have characterised a micro-politician as someone who "believes in politics,"  "grouping inhibits school effectiveness," and "he uses others for his interests." It is very evident from the stakeholder's statement that it is a poor leadership style in Pakistan. Micropolitics for institutional transformation appears to be unheard of in this part of the world. It can be due to the negative perception that politicians have in the country.

The analysis of content of interviews revealsthat the stakeholders support and like the most were transactional, transformational, open, role model, and wandered leadership respectively to the sequence

Summary of Findings of the Current Study

After merging the results of survey research, both quantitative and qualitative, the image of the Pakistani setting that emerges in terms of school leadership styles and their influence on school improvement can be summarised in the following ways:

• Different leadership philosophies are required in various contexts. The sort of leadership in which little adjustments are made in reaction to the context culture and work environment is influenced by a leader's experience and exposure to different educational cultures, such as public or private.

• Stakeholders generally link excellent academic performance with effective schools through their perception of effective teaching-learning. The stakeholders also place a great value on the development of the whole person.

• A leader with a mission and vision, particularly one that is shared, is more likely to improve a school,

• In order to improve the educational process, situational leadership appears to be more effective. There are numerous styles that might be employed depending on the situation.

• Professional leadership with a transactional approach, which contends that even if school improvement isn't always attainable, strong managerial skills can maintain the school's efficacy. 

Conclusion

Most people agree that inclusive, democratic, and open leadership philosophies are better suited to the process of improving schools. People are willing to share authority in this kind of leadership. Teachers have a positive view of democratic leaders as being dependable, receptive, accommodating, involved, and friendly. Using this strategy, educators and other key players are encouraged to debate one another's viewpoints. These ideas will be taken into consideration for discussion and use after being agreed upon. With this management approach, the emphasis has shifted from management to leadership as a form of empowerment. Because it encourages positive behaviour management and academic accomplishment, an authoritarian approach as part of a top-down organisational structure is frequently thought to be suitable. This type of classroom teacher appears unwilling to delegate authority to others and appears uneasy participating in a democratic setting. It's difficult to talk to a teacher like that in class. less secure, more selfish, and less supportive. Usually, they work to keep things as they are rather than to challenge them, and they take the initiative to change and improve.

Recommendations

? The most recent methods for school leadership must be understood by those in charge of running the institution. They should enrol in short-term, on-the-job training programmes in school leadership, management, and administration in addition to reading the most recent literature on the subject to prepare for this.

? Short courses in action research and reflective practise should be made available to help school management and leadership learn from their environments in a meaningful and constructive way.

? In order to narrow the scope of school reform, it should be recommended that Pakistani schools create their own vision and purpose statements.

? Studies on school effectiveness encourage and support research in this area. Both public and private schools ought to cover this.

? In addition to emphasising the concepts of empowerment, teamwork, and participatory approaches in the media, it is crucial to foster a democratic culture in the classroom.

? Pakistan has low levels of civic engagement. Although holistic personality development has gained good attention, it still needs the assistance of the head teacher, instructors, and parents to be put into practise. We need to encourage successful participation by encouraging healthy school-home relationships.

? Achieving strong academic performance does not equate to effective teaching. It entails classrooms that are learner- and learning-centered, realistic assessment, and life-preparation. The ultimate goal should be self-directed learning.

References

• Brauckmann, S., Pashiardis, P., & Ärlestig, H. (2023). Bringing context and educational leadership together: Fostering the professional development of school principals. Professional development in education, 49(1), 4-15.
• Creemers, B. P., Peters, T., & Reynolds, D. (Eds.). (2022). School effectiveness and school improvement. Routledge.
• Edmonds, R. (2020). Characteristics of effective schools. In The school achievement of minority children (93-104). Routledge.
• Fullan, M. (1991). The New Meaning of Educational Change, London: Cassell.
• Hall, G. E, Hord, S., & Griffin, T. (1980). Implementation at the School Building Level: The Development and Analysis of Nine Mini Case Studies' Paper Presented at American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting.
• Jacobsen, C. B., Andersen, L. B., Bøllingtoft, A., & Eriksen, T. L. M. (2022). Can leadership training improve organizational effectiveness? Evidence from a randomized field experiment on transformational and transactional leadership. Public Administration Review, 82(1), 117-131.
• Kemethofer, D., Helm, C., & Warwas, J. (2022). Does educational leadership enhance instructional quality and student achievement? The case of Austrian primary school leaders. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1-25.
• Liljenberg, M., & Wrethander, M. (2023). Leadership for school improvement– linking learning to leading over time. Professional Development in Education, 49(1), 30-44.
• Mintrop, R. (2020). Design-based school improvement: A practical guide for education leaders. Harvard Education Press.
• Murphy, A. J. (1941). A study of the leadership process. American Sociological Review, 674-687.
• Stogdill, R. M. (1950). Leadership, membership, and organization. Psychological bulletin, 47(1), 1.
• an, C. Y., Gao, L., & Shi, M. (2022). Second- order meta-analysis synthesizing the evidence on associations between school leadership and different school outcomes. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(3), 469- 490.
• Wu, H., & Shen, J. (2022). The association between principal leadership and student achievement: A multivariate meta-meta- analysis. Educational Research Review, 35, 100423.