The Need for Transformational Leadership in Singapore's School-Based Reform

In Singapore, decentralization and school-based reforms are key words within the current education reform agenda. This article argues that a key success factor in this agenda is transformational leadership in school. With more autonomy given to the school, transformational leadership at the school level will facilitate the development of school culture and staff capacity, which will in turn facilitate bottom-up initiatives. This article reviews the literature on transformational leadership, reports some research on transformational leadership in schools in other countries, and draws on the results of previous research on transformational leadership in a Singapore school to support its argument.