This research revealed that most teachers in the selected Islamic private schools
in Songkhla perceived their principal as exhibiting transformational leadership
practices “fairly often” and more frequently displayed than practices of transactional
leadership. It was also revealed in this study that there is a relationship between
transformational leadership and teachers’ motivation. These results are consistent
with previous researches such as (Bogler, 2001; Edwards, 2008; Gallmerier, 1992; Mills,
2008; Nuntiwat Pongjarern, 2002; Silins, 1993) that indicate current leaders are
practicing more transformational leadership as they face the changing environment
which demand for increased accountability and higher expectations of school’s
performance. Therefore, the importance of transformational leadership is emphasized
as a key to improve effective quality of education.
Another finding in the study revealed that idealized influence and inspirational
motivation behaviors were practiced more frequently by most principals in the study.