ABSTRACT
Contemporary perceptions are that Malaysian schools are inadequately preparing students for the twenty-first century. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that many governments give school leaders more responsibility for implementing and managing significantly more demanding education programmes, to improve student outcomes. Leadership influences can be classified as direct or indirect effects. The leaders’ personal traits and tenure provided the background that explained the choice of leadership practices employed at the schools to drive student outcomes. Succession planning or internal promotion of key leadership positions plays an important role in defining and fostering a school culture that positively influence student outcomes, which is facilitated by long-serving principals. Students’ socio-economic status remains a key factor that influences student achievement, with parental education having the strongest influence. Collective teachers’ efficacy is the emphasis on teachers’ belief that they not only have the capacity to influence student learning but the shared obligation to do so.
