Charismatic Leadership as a Catalyst for Improving Teacher’s Educational Practice and Students Learning

Abstract

This study investigated the role of charismatic leadership in shaping teachers’ educational practices and students’ learning outcomes in universities of Sargodha District. The objectives were to examine how charismatic leadership traits of school principals influence teachers’ instructional strategies, analyze the relationship between such leadership and student outcomes, and identify mediating factors between leadership and achievement using a purposive sample of 200 participants (40 heads of departments and 160 students) from three universities, data were collected through validated survey questionnaires. Instruments were tested for validity via expert review and reliability using Cornbrash’s alpha (≥0.80). Findings revealed strong positive correlations between charismatic leadership, teachers’ practices, and students’ learning, with regression analysis showing leadership explained 90% of the variance in teaching practices and 86% in student learning outcomes. Gender differences favored female teachers, while locality, marital status, and years of service showed no significant variation. The study concludes that charismatic leadership is a critical factor in fostering effective pedagogy and academic success. A major recommendation is that educational institutions and policymakers should prioritize leadership development programs emphasizing charisma, vision, and relational skills to enhance teaching effectiveness and student performance sustainably.