Date of Conferral

7-21-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Vicki Underwood

Abstract

Effective leadership is crucial for educational success, yet its definition varies across cultures, which may cause communication issues, especially in culturally diverse environments like international schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore differing perceptions of transformational leadership (TL) between 68 expatriate teachers and 27 administrators, representing response rates of 22% and 47%, respectively, in three Kuwait international schools. Grounded in Bass's TL theory, the Global Transformational Leadership survey, an anonymous online survey with each of seven leadership domains represented by one item, was used in the study. Data collected on a 5-point frequency scale were analyzed using independent samples t tests to identify significant differences in perceptions of TL between the two groups. Administrators rated the frequency of their TL practices significantly higher than teachers on all seven domains (p = .03 for vision, p < .001 for total and other domains: staff development, support system, staff empowerment, guide to innovation, exemplary practices, and possessing charisma), with Cohen’s d ranging from .50 to 1.05. These results suggest that while administrators viewed their leadership practices as strongly transformational, teachers perceived a much lower level of TL in practice. This discrepancy points to a potential communication gap that may affect staff morale, trust, and school climate. By identifying these differing viewpoints, this study may lead to changes that enhance teacher retention and educational outcomes, contributing to positive social change within international education in Kuwait.

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