Relationship between Strategic Thinking Skills and Motivation to Lead among School Teachers in Malaysia

Abstract

Efforts to capitalize on educational excellence demand the commitment of teachers as leaders in schools to develop continuous improvement strategies. Teachers are even encouraged to develop strategic thinking skills as a prerequisite for improving school leadership capabilities. In general this study aimed to identify the level of strategic thinking skills and the level of leadership motivation among school teachers. In addition, the relationship between strategic thinking and leadership motivation among school teachers was also explored. The cross-sectional survey method was applied in the quantitative data collection process involving 456 respondents selected using a stratified random sampling method.  The instrument used consisted of three sections: respondent demographic information, Strategic Thinking skills questionnaire, and Leadership Motivation questionnaire.  The results showed that strategic thinking skills were at a high level while school teacher leadership motivation was at a moderate level. Pearson correlation test results showed that strategic thinking skills had a statistically significant positive relationship with school teacher leadership motivation.  As such, it is hoped that the school administrators will be able to provide appropriate focus on the aspects of strategic thinking skills and leadership motivation towards enhancing school leadership capabilities.