Leadership Transitions and Institutional Transformation: A Comparative Study of Two Principals at a Private Community-Based School, Karachi
Download| Volume 6 Issue 2, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Author(s): |
Afreen Kanwal (Corresponding Author)
Shehla Najib Sidiki
|
| Abstract | Educational leadership is a critical determinant of institutional performance, teacher efficacy, and student outcomes. It promotes academic excellence, innovation and the holistic development of students and staff through shared vision, transparent communication, inspiration and cultural reforms. Effective leadership behaviours are demonstrated through leadership style and type, which may vary from one individual to another. This paper presents the impacts of leadership transition on institutional progress at a private Community-Based School (CBS) in Karachi. It compares the transformational interventions of the Senior Principal (post-2019) with the transactional model applied in the preceding administrative period of the Ex-Principal. This qualitative case study explores the changes in school culture, academic and administrative processes, and evaluates stakeholder experiences through semi-structured interviews with ten stakeholders. Data collected from stakeholders was critically analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006, 2019) reflexive thematic analysis. Their perspectives identified a shift from transactional to transformative-holistic education, the architecture of trust and accessible leadership, strategic empowerment and professionalisation of teaching, and navigated challenges and emerging frontiers. The findings from CBS uncover an influential transition from a top-down, transactional model to a transformational, relational, and participatory approach (Kotter, 1996). This study affirms that leadership transitions, grounded in clear vision and relational consistency, can serve as powerful catalysts. Conversely, it also highlights persistent structural challenges such as large class sizes and language development needs, which explicitly reflect that change unfolds gradually and involves multiple steps for sustainable educational improvement. Hence, to mitigate challenges, this paper concludes with recommendations for school leadership, policy makers, educators and researchers working in similar educational contexts. |
| Keywords | Qualitative case-study, leadership behaviour, transformational interventions, transactional model, reflexive thematic analysis, strategic empowerment, participatory approach, leadership transitions, succession planning, inclusive education. |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Type | Research paper, manuscript, article |
| Recognized by | Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, HEC | Category | "Y" | Journal Name | ILMA Journal of Social Sciences & Economics | Publisher Name | ILMA University | Jel Classification | DOI | ISSN no (E, Electronic) | 2790-5896 | ISSN no (P, Print) | 2709-2232 | Country | Pakistan | City | Karachi | Institution Type | University | Journal Type | Open Access | Manuscript Processing | Blind Peer Reviewed | Format | Paper Link | http://ijsse.ilmauniversity.edu.pk/arc/Vol6./pdf/v2/6.pdf |