In Singapore, decentralization and school-based reforms are key words within the current education reform agenda. This article argues that a key success factor in this agenda is transformational leadership in school. With more autonomy given to the school, transformational leadership at the school level will facilitate the development of school culture and staff capacity, which will in turn facilitate bottom-up initiatives. This article reviews the literature on transformational leadership, reports some research on transformational leadership in schools in other countries, and draws on the results of previous research on transformational leadership in a Singapore school to support its argument.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndersonL. W., & ShirleyJ. R. (1995). High school principals and school reform: Lessons learned from a state-wide study of Project Re: Learning. Educational Administration Quarterly, 31(3), 405–423.
2.
BarnettK., McCormicJ., & ConnersR. (2001). Transformational leadership in schools: Panacea, placebo or problem?Journal of Educational Administration, 39(1), 24–46.
3.
BassM. B. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations.New York: Free Press.
4.
BassM. B. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(3), 18–40.
5.
BlaseJ. (1989). The micro-politics of the school: The everyday political orientation of teachers toward open school principals. Educational Administration Quarterly, 24(4), 377–407.
6.
BurnsJ. M. (1978). Leadership.New York: Harper & Row.
7.
CaldwellB. J., & HaywardD. K. (1998). The future of schools: Lessons from the reform of public education.London: Palmer Press.
8.
CaldwellB. J., & SpinksJ. M. (2007). Raising the stakes: From improvement to transformation in the reform of schools.Oxford, UK: Routledge.
9.
CarnoyM. (2000). Globalization and educational reform: What planners need to know.Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.
10.
DowntonJ. V. (1973). Rebel leadership: Commitment and charisma in the revolutionary process.New York: Free Press.
11.
GohC. T. (1997, June). Shaping our future: Thinking schools, learning nation. Speech given at the opening of the Seventh International Conference on Thinking.
12.
GohC. T. (2005, February 22). Investment in people pays off for the country. Speech by senior minister Goh Chok Tong at the Jeddah Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia. The Straits Times.
13.
GopinathanS. (2001). Globalisation, the state and education policy in Singapore. In TanJ., GopinathanS., & HoW. K. (Eds.), Challenges facing the Singapore education system today (pp. 3–17). Singapore: Prentice Hall.
14.
HooverN. R. (1991, April). Transformational and transactional leadership: An empirical test of a theory. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED331117)
15.
KohA. (2004). Singapore education system in “new times”: Global/local imperatives. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 25(30), 335–349.
16.
KouzesJ. M., & PosnerB. Z. (1987). The leadership challenge.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
17.
LeeH. L. (2004, August). Our future of opportunity and promise. Address by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally at the University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
18.
LeithwoodK., & JantziD. (2000). The effects of different sources of leadership on student engagement in school. In MurphyK. A., & LouisK. S. (Eds.), Leadership for change and school reform: International perspectives (pp. 50–66). London: Routledge/Falmer.
19.
LeithwoodK., JantziD., & SteinbackR. (1999). Changing leadership for changing time.Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
20.
LiangT. Y., & NgP. T. (2005). Human resource management and development of highly intelligent interacting agents: A paradigm shift in Singapore. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 5(2), 180–189.
21.
MokK. (2003). Decentralization and marketization of education in Singapore: A case study of the school excellence model. Journal of Educational Administration, 41(4), 348–366.
22.
MokK. H., & WelchA. (Eds.). (2003). Globalisation and educational restructuring in the Asia Pacific region.Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
NgP. T. (2003). The Singapore school and the school excellence model. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 2(1), 27–39.
25.
NgP. T. (2005a). Innovation and enterprise in Singapore schools. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 3(3), 183–198.
26.
NgP. T. (2005b). Students’ perception of change in the Singapore education system. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 3(1), 77–92.
27.
NgP. T. (2007). Quality assurance in the Singapore education system in an era of diversity and innovation. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 6(3), 235–247.
28.
NgP. T. (2008a). Thinking schools, learning nation. In TanE. T. J., & NgP. T. (Eds.), Thinking schools, learning nation: Contemporary issues and challenges (pp. 1–6). Singapore: Prentice Hall.
29.
NgP. T. (2008b). Educational reform in Singapore: From quantity to quality. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 7(1), 5–15.
30.
NgP. T. (2008c). Quality assurance in the Singapore education system: Phases and paradoxes. Quality Assurance in Education, 16(2), 112–125.
31.
NgP. T. (2008d). Developing forward looking and innovative school leaders: The Singapore Leaders in Education Programme. Professional Development in Education, 34(2), 237–255.
32.
NgP. T., & TanC. (2006). From school to economy: Innovation and enterprise in Singapore. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 11(3), 1–2.
33.
PortinP., & ShenJ. (1998). The changing principalship: Its current status, variability, and impact. Journal of Leadership Studies, 5, 93–113.
34.
RetnaK. S., & NgP. T. (2008). The perception of staff on the effects of transformational leadership in a Singapore school. Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice, 23(1), 64–77.
35.
SharpeL., & GopinathanS. (1996). Effective island, effective schools: Repairing and restructuring in the Singapore school system. International Journal of Educational Reform, 5(4), 394–402.
36.
TanC. (2005). Driven by pragmatism: Issues and challenges in an ability-driven education. In TanE. T. J., & NgP. T. (Eds.), Shaping Singapore's future: Thinking schools, learning nation (pp. 5–21). Singapore: Prentice Hall.
37.
TanC., & NgP. T. (2007). Dynamics of change: Decentralised centralism of education in Singapore. Journal of Educational Change, 8, 155–168.
38.
TanE. T. J., & NgP. T. (Eds.). (2005). Shaping Singapore's future: Thinking schools, learning nation.Singapore: Prentice Hall.
39.
TeoC. H. (1998, December 26). Principals—The key leaders in building thinking schools based on strong school-home-community relations. Speech given at the Appointment Ceremony for Principals. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/1998/261298.htm
40.
TeoC. H. (2003, July 12). Speech by RADM Teo Chee Hean, minister for education and 2nd minister for defence. Speech given at Pei Chun Public School's 70th-Anniversary Founder's Day Celebration and official opening of new school premises. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2003/sp20030712b_print.htm
41.
TharmanS. (2003, December 30). Speech by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, acting minister for education. Speech given at the Appointment Ceremony for Principals. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2003/sp20031230.htm
42.
TharmanS. (2004, February). Innovation and enterprise in our schools. Speech given at the Innovation and Enterprise Workshop at the Anglo Chinese School, Singapore.
43.
TharmanS. (2005a, September). Achieving quality: Bottom up initiative, top down support. Speech given at the Ministry of Education's Work Plan Seminar at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Convention Centre, Singapore.
44.
TharmanS. (2005b, March 9). Parliamentary reply by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, minister for education.Singapore: Singapore Parliament.
45.
TharmanS. (2006, December 28). Building on individual and collective leadership in our schools. Speech given at the Appointment Ceremony for Principals. Retrieved from http://www.moe.org.sg/media/speeches/2006/sp20061228.htm
46.
TownsendT., & ChengY. C. (2000). Charting the progress: Influences that have shaped education in the Asia-Pacific region. In ChengY. C., & TownsendT. (Eds.), Educational change and development in the Asia Pacific region: Challenges for the future (pp. 1–14). Exton, PA: Swets & Zeitlinger.
