Abstract

• This paper concerns a research study about the relationship between principals’ leadership styles and teachers’ job satisfaction at selected Basic Education High Schools in Sagaing Township. In this study, two instruments: Principals’ Leadership Behaviour Survey developed by Ibrahim (2014) to measure principals’ leadership styles and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction Survey adapted from Minnesota job satisfaction survey developed by Weiss (1967) to measure teachers’ job satisfaction were used. In this study, quantitative research method was used. The sample was chosen 147 teachers from five selected Basic Education High Schools by using purposive sampling method. After collecting the data, descriptive statistics such as, Mean Values and Standard Deviations and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were calculated by using SPSS. The findings of the study indicated that teachers from selected high schools perceived that their principals mostly practiced “Democratic” leadership style (?̅ = 3.76) but moderately used “Autocratic” (?̅ =3.54) and “Laissez-Faire” leadership style (?̅ =2.95) to manage their schools. The finding of teachers’ “job satisfaction” showed that “overall job satisfaction” of teachers from all selected schools falls under the moderate level (?̅ =3.48). When studying the correlation between principals’ leadership styles and teachers’ job satisfaction at selected schools, it was found that principals’ “Autocratic” leadership style and “Democratic” leadership style were positively and moderately correlated with teachers’ job satisfaction (r = .607, p<0.01, r= .633, p<0.01). In addition, there was a low and negative relationship between “Laissez-Faire” leadership style and teachers’ “job satisfaction” (r= -.210, p<0.05) at selected high schools. And two open-ended questions were also discussed. Based on the research findings, this study helps to provide guidance and direction to principals who wish to exercise their leadership on a more appropriate and relevant way particularly in a context of change.