Date of Award
4-25-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education
Program
Educational Leadership
Capstone Instructor
Brian Boothe
Second Reader
Theresa Marty
Keywords
School Culture, Transformational Leadership, Education, K-12 Schools
Abstract
This literature review examined the impact of transformational leadership on the development and sustainability of a positive school culture in K-12 schools. Peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2026 were analyzed to identify trends in leadership and school culture. Sources were selected from academic databases based on relevance, publication date, and focus on school leadership and culture. The review included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research to provide a comprehensive understanding of how transformational leadership influenced the development and sustainability of a positive school culture. Findings indicated that transformational leadership established the foundation for building a positive school culture through relationship-building, collaboration and shared-decision making. Additionally, the research demonstrated that these leadership practices played a critical role in sustaining school culture over time. These findings emphasized that transformational leadership not only supported a positive school culture, but also played a key role in sustaining that culture over time.
Keywords: transformational leadership, school culture, transactional leadership.