Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Principal’s Leadership Styles and Motivation: A Comparative Study

Leadership styles play a crucial role in shaping the motivation of individuals within educational institutions, influencing both teachers’ and students’ motivation. This study investigated the relationship between leadership styles and motivation, focusing on how the principal’s leadership influences the motivation of teachers to teach and students to study. Correlational, comparative design was used with 20 high school teachers and 197 students as respondents. Data were gathered using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, the Work Tasks Motivation Scale for Teachers, and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Analysis methods included weighted mean, t-test, and Spearman Correlation. Results revealed that the principal predominantly demonstrates transformational leadership, particularly idealized influence and inspirational motivation, while laissez-faire leadership is the least observed. Both teachers and students reported high motivation to teach and study, respectively. No significant relationship was found between the principal’s leadership style and teachers’ motivation to teach, possibly due to established routines and the principal’s recent tenure. In contrast, a significant positive relationship was observed between the principal’s leadership style and students’ motivation to study. The study concluded that teacher motivation is shaped by intrinsic and contextual factors rather than leadership, while transformational leadership significantly enhances student motivation. These findings underscored the importance of trust-building and active leadership in fostering a supportive educational environment.