Impact of effective leadership style on school performance: with reference to Central Colleges in the Western Province of Sri Lanka

The primary goal of any school is to improve the academic performance of students, which in turn leads to higher performance by school children and the school as well. Research has proved that school leaders can make a difference in school and student performance. Thus, the leadership style and the role of principals are crucial in directing their schools towards better performance. Central Colleges in Sri Lanka as secondary and collegiate levels of schools have shown higher performances in the past, but there is evidence that the performances of the Central Colleges are declining at present. Having explored the meaning of school performances, this study identifies characteristics of effective leadership and examines the impact of the effective leadership style on the school performance of Central Colleges in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Based on quantitative research methods, primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a sample of 357 teachers using a random sampling method. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Based on the analysis five characteristics of effective leadership were identified explaining 81.4% variance in school performance and these characteristics significantly and positively affect school performance. Thus, school performances could be improved if principals are inclusive, innovative, resourceful, and thoughtful of others, encourage their teachers to get the best results, and create a stimulating environment for improving performance as there is a lack of research specifically, exploring the qualities of effective leadership style, this study filled an apparent knowledge gaps in prior research concerning effective leadership characteristics with empirical data.