The impacts of educational leaders’ strategic leadership practices on students’ academic performance and reputation of secondary schools, Malaysia

Abstract

The study examines the impact of the strategic leadership practices of educational leaders attached to secondary schools in Malaysia on the reputation of the secondary schools with the student academic performance serving as a mediating variable. It is aimed to validate both the strategic leadership model and the secondary school reputation model contextualized within the Malaysian education system. The student academic performance in secondary schools of Malaysia is measured based on national quality standard outlined by Ministry of Education. Based on the population size, the sample of 379 respondents consist of secondary school educational leaders are participated in the study. The stratified random sampling technique is applied and 6 – point Likert scale questionnaire is used as the instrument in data collection process. The data are analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS – SEM) via SMARTPLS. The results have confirmed that both strategic leadership practice model and secondary school reputation are valid and reliable. The findings also have revealed that there is a strong and significant direct relationship between the strategic leadership practice and secondary school reputation (total effect = 0.681, p value = 0.000). The strategic leadership practice is also measured to have a strong and significant relationship with student academic performance (total effect = 0.519, p value = 0.000). The mediating role of student academic performance is also supported, showing a specific indirect effect of 0.231. Primarily, it is optimistic that the study contributes to the practical and managerial implications for the leadership practices in schools especially in the aspects of organizational activities and individual abilities of the strategic school leaders in enhancing both student outcomes and institutional reputation.