The relationship between school principals management styles and the effectiveness of schools

The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between school principals' management styles and school effectiveness based on the perceptions of teachers working in public schools. Additionally, the study aimed to determine whether teachers' perceptions of school principals' management styles and school effectiveness showed significant differences based on certain demographic variables. Within the scope of these objectives, a correlational and causal comparative model from quantitative research designs was used in the study. The population of the study consists of a total of 9.986 teachers working in public schools in the districts of Battalgazi (4.291) and Yeşilyurt (5.515) in the province of Malatya during the 2024-2025 academic year. The sample of the study includes 422 teachers selected from the total population of 9.986 using the "convenience sampling" method. Three different data collection measures were used to gather the data for the research. These measures are the "Personal Information Form," the "Management Style Scale," and the "Effective School Scale." In the study, based on teachers' perceptions, the collaborative leadership style of school principals was found to be positively and significantly associated with school effectiveness, while the authoritarian, indifferent, and confrontational leadership styles generally showed negative and significant relationships. Additionally, the results revealed that school principals' leadership styles explained approximately 37.7% of the variance in teachers' perceptions of school effectiveness, and the model was found to be significant. It was determined that the collaborative management style most strongly predicted perceptions of school effectiveness in a positive direction. Based on these findings, it can be recommended that the collaborative management style be promoted in schools.