Özet:

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between transformational school leadership and ethical climate. Th e participants were 764 teachers in 50 elementary schools in Nigde during the 2008/2009 academic year. Two distinct instruments were used in this study. The Principal Leadership Style Inventory developed by Leithwood and Jantzi (1991) was used for determining principals' transformational leadership style and the Ethical Climate Questionnaire developed by Victor and Cullen (1988) was used to determine the ethical climate. Pearson product correlation coefficient and simple regression techniques were used for data analysis. Results showed that principals carried out fostering group goals the highest and holding high performance expectations the lowest among transformational leadership dimensions. Elementary schools had caring at the highest level and instrumental at the lowest level as ethical climate types. All dimensions of transformational leadership were positively related to caring, law and code, and rules ethical climate types. The highest relationship was found between all dimensions of transformational leadership and caring ethical climate type. Instrumental ethical climate was negatively related to providing vision or inspiration, models behavior, fostering group goals, providing support and providing intellectual stimulation. Instrumental was not significantly related holding high performance expectations. Th e highest negative relationship was found between instrumental and providing support, models behavior. Independence ethical climate was positively related to providing support, intellectual stimulation and holding high performance expectations. Independence was not significantly associated with providing vision or inspiration, models behavior and fostering group goals. School transformational leadership was a significant predict of ethical climate. A simple regression analysis showed that approximately 40% of the total variance pertaining to ethical climate can be explained by transformational leadership behaviors.

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