Transformational Leadership and Teacher Commitment in Secondary Schools of Sarawak

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between teacher commitment and transformational leadership in secondary schools. A survey instrument was developed, based on conceptual framework on transformational leadership (Bass and Rigglo, 2006), and teacher commitment (Dannetta, 2002). Quantitative survey method was applied and two broadly hypothesized relationships were tested with a sample of 1014 trained teachers serving in twenty-seven secondary schools in Miri, Sarawak. The results indicated a moderate level of teacher commitment and a low level of transformational leadership qualities among the respondents. The results from multiple regression analysis provided little to moderate support for the analysis. They offer insights on how leadership practices affect teachers’ commitment. It also necessitates for leadership development of school leaders to acquire transformational leadership qualities that are crucial in changing teachers’ attitude and improving their commitment level.