Private Schools’ Role in Promoting and Fostering Students Leadership Skills in Jordan

Private Schools’ Role in Promoting and Fostering Students Leadership Skills in Jordan

Heba Mohammad Masoud Abu Mughli

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate private school`s role in promoting and fostering student’s leadership skills in Jordan, to achieve the study aims, the researcher adapted interview approach. Interview questions revolved around four leadership skills: self-confidence, influencing others, ambitions, and passion.  The study interviews 10 parents whom their children attend private schools in Amman and Irbid, and ask them about their views on these four issues and the schools of their children. The study found that the parents were confident that the schools indeed emphasize these leadership aspects through their teaching and activities.

Keywords: private schools; education in Jordan; leadership skills.

 

Introduction:

Leadership plays a vital role in any organization. It involves defining the direction of a team and communicating it to people, motivating, inspiring and empowering everyone in the organization to participate in achieving organizational success. Leadership requires being strategically focused and applying behavioral techniques to build capacity and get the best work from your people. Becoming an effective leader is challenging to new managers, but offers the rewards of success in orientating peoples work to be effective and achieving excellence in team performance. An understanding of the principles of strategic thinking, direction setting, communications and motivation facilitate developing skills and an effective management style to suit one’s personality and leadership situations. Research by (Michael, Daan, and David, 2012) illustrated that developing leadership capabilities requires understanding our own strengths and weaknesses and to be willing to continuously improve our skills and knowledge as we gain experience. By developing understanding of leadership, one`s will be better equipped to inspire and motivate his team to achieve results for the organization.

Education is an important sector through which leadership plays extremely important role and presents its highest vitality if implemented skillfully and appropriately. The diversity landscape in private school environment in Jordan provides various experiences to students.  Teachers and head teachers normally come from different cultural and educational backgrounds bringing along with them the diverse meaning of the term “leadership”, reflecting this on their daily behavioral attributes. Students are, therefore, exposed to people from different socio-cultural classes, which can differentiate their educational experience in terms of characteristic traits they may attain from their teachers and head teachers as well. One of the most important characteristic traits that students may obtain and apply successfully on their daily life is Leadership role.

Research Problem:

The objectives of any curriculum or teaching plan are the most important curriculum criteria. Although the objectives of curriculums in Jordan are mostly concentrating on producing hard working, skillful, critical thinking whether in private educational sector or public educational sector, we still have differences between private school students` character traits and other students of same age in non private schools.  Some schools do clearly produce at least able, hard-working people, skillful, and most importantly, having leadership skills that we can admire. Can we attribute these differences to the opportunities private sector provide to the students? This study aims to see if effective private schools leadership has a significance role in promoting and fostering leadership skills among students.

Significance of the Study:

This study is important because it will provide researchers, scholars, educators, administrators and students with valuable information and findings regarding the effectiveness of leadership skills that private schools can prompt among students in order to use in their daily lives, and future careers.

Limitation of study:

In spite of achieving the aim of the study, readers need to remember that we considered only clearly determined population and sampling settings, reference to other settings may have produced different results.

Research Objectives:

The study aimed to investigate to what extant can private schools improve leadership skills among students, such as, self confidence, futurist thinking, ambition, ability to influence others, persuasion skills, and passion.

 Do private schools promote self confidence of students?

Can private schools enhance students` ambitious attitudes?

Can private schools enhance students` ability to influence others?

To what extent can private schools foster students` passion for learning?

Literature review

Because the ability to lead is a highly desirable trait; the school, teachers and other stakeholders, must support the child to be a good leader. For example, students learn by mimicking their teachers. The teacher, who is a focal person in the school, needs to display good leadership qualities for students to imitate. Skills, such as, observation and identification of challenges, planning, goal setting, influencing others, implementation, futurist thinking, persuasion, and passion are ideal traits for effective leadership.

Actually, there are numerous activities or tasks that students could be assigned within and outside of the school system to enhance good leadership. The school must appreciate that the massive nature of work within it cannot be solved satisfactorily by only the teacher. There must be division of labor where the child could also be assigned some tasks. First of all, students must be inspired to cultivate the habit of reading. School time tables should not be loaded with only academic subjects. Some allocations should be made for library reading, reading competitions and debates. During these sessions, stories can be told of some great leaders as a motivation to kids.

(Birgit, Tina, Rudolf, 2011) argues that leadership demands considerable efforts from the school in producing quality citizens and leaders for our nation. The school is required to be strategic in its functions to achieve this goal. Increasing life’s complexities and challenges demand that the school follow a rout that is beyond its traditional focus on Geometry, Arithmetic and Numeracy, for instance, to include other learning experiences on good leadership.

In addition of having schools concentrating on teachers as leaders to be imitated by students, they have to instill in students many traits. These traits include the spirit of self confidence, creativity, proper reasoning, good interpersonal relationships, self motivation, collaboration and teamwork, and negotiation. Training students to be good future leaders is one of the key secrets of success in life that schools can provide to students.

(Bhindi, Smith, Hansen, 2008) explained that influencing students to be good leaders is not only beneficial to the child, as a person, but also to the school, society and the nation at large. For students to contribute meaningfully to national development, acquisition of good leadership skills is necessary. The school cannot continue to see society go through teething challenges, including poverty, hunger and disease. Cases of armed crime, drug abuse, bribery and corruption, indecent politicking, etc can be disappeared if the child in the classroom today is made more responsible and accountable. Good leadership is key factor to any society’s survival and progress.

Students should feel being valued and also get motivated to perform as leaders. There must be an enabling environment for these leaders to carry out their functions effectively. They should be guided on how to monitor, evaluate and report feedbacks to authorities. Children are never too young to develop leadership and communication skills (Bhindi, Smith, and Hansen, 2008).

What is provided in this section is a brief outline of some of the literature relating to authentic leadership from around the globe to show it influence in business and management, and human service organizations, in education, and more importantly in private schools.

 (Victor and Pub, 2009) define leadership in their study, as the ability to get all members of the organizations to perform tasks required to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives. Good leadership is essential if private schools are to improve.  Excellent leadership creates a sense of excitement about teaching and learning within the school and community by focusing on dreams and expectations of students, parents and the community.

According to (Sharifullah and Mola, 2011), the key role of head teacher’s personal values in educational leadership and administration is extremely important, as the head teacher has to accommodate and stabilize the value complex environment of school in order to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency.

(Chaudhary , 2012), argues, while some people may feel more oriented and be better prepared to take on leadership roles, an understanding of leadership functions allows us to develop skills and capabilities to achieve a successful leadership style matching our own character and talents. Some of the basics of good leadership can be self-taught, but many useful skills will be acquired through experience developed over time. One’s may be influenced by parents, teachers, employers or colleagues as well as by observing the behavior and style of other successful leaders and seeking their advice.

(Michael, Daan, and David, 2012) argue that by watching and analyzing, we can develop our own leadership style based on what has proven effective for others. To build our leadership skills we can also seek feedback from our team and ensure that we learn from our mistakes. As a leader, there is always more to learn in dealing with new situations and different personnel. Our observations, training, experiences and personality will all help to shape our evolving leadership style. Some of the most important aspects of leadership are a strong commitment to setting effective and clear objectives and enthusiasm and commitment to developing our team’s performance.

 (Carly, Johns, Baltimore, 2010) argue that exercising leadership in a school has never been easy. Those who have held administrative positions in schools, say it can be confusing, frustrating, overwhelming, but also fulfilling. A school principal can wear a variety of hats and transition through multiple roles in a single school day .In unity with teachers a principal is a parent, a care-giver, and a disciplinarian. As professionals, school principals can be managers, innovators and most importantly leaders. They have to build relationships with children, parents, families, teachers, staff, and the outside community. All while giving reference to the expectations of senior administrators and elected members of the school board.

In private schools sector, (Victor and Pub, 2009) argue that effective principals are able to establish trust, create structures that promote principal-teachers communication and maintain a high level of moral values.  The study highlighted the possible advantages of private schools which include:

• Innovation and flexibility – As private schools do not receive state funding; they have more flexibility to develop programs and practices best suited for their students.
• Private schools view students and parents as clients. Therefore, they must be more practical to meet their needs and concerns.
• Private schools offer the opportunity for integration of age groupings through schools` activities. Learning is not age specific and younger students have the opportunity to tap on the experiences of the older students.
• Private schools see education as a lifelong process. Because they have a more relaxed guideline on the age of the students, working adults find private schools more accommodative to their learning needs.

(Paul, 2006) assumes that there are prerequisites to authentic leadership by school principals: Four motivational bases for administrative decision making are described: self-interest/personal preferences, rational consensus, rational consequences, and transitional ethics/principles. The achievement of self-knowledge, capacity and sensitivity to others can be best achieved in professional settings through strategies of personal reflective practice, and sustained dialogue on moral issues and the ethical dilemmas of educational practice.

A study by (Christopher, 2010) suggests that for ethical decision making, illustrate that leadership must be ethical because it carries a responsibility not just to be personally moral, but to be a cause of “civic moral education” which leads to both self knowledge and community awareness. Surely, this is a clear indication that we have-through educational process- to find the most effective way to help preparing our current and future educational leaders for being able to confidently and effectively deal with their complex, problematic and unavoidable ethical decision making responsibilities.

 (Charles and William, 1998) suggested that the essence of a total leader is openness, flexibility, empowerment, and a capacity to manage increasingly complex and dynamic changes .Leaders are purposeful visionaries, they look outside of the box for possibilities and solutions, take initiative, are persuasive, and get results. They also balance overt attention to customer and client needs with a concern for the internal quality and effectiveness of their organizations. They argue that total leaders lead their systems through a planning process that results in the creation of five key direction-setting products in schools:

First: Issue a Powerful list of the beliefs and values that serve as a decision screen for all decision makers in the school system. Second: A future-focused mission statement that briefly and clearly states the purpose of the school system and the reason the school district exists. Third: A framework identifying the spheres of living and the future conditions that students will face once they leave school. Fourth: A set of future-focused student performance outcomes that explicitly identify what students will be able to do with what they have learned, and what they will be like after they leave school and are living full and productive lives. And finally:  A future-focused vision statement that will clearly and concretely state what the school system will look like in the future when operating at its ideal best.

These five products are the outcomes for the five key steps in the direction-setting component of the overall strategic design process. When the five steps are completed, the school system will have created a comprehension decision screen that, when applied systematically, consistently, and creatively, ensures total system focus.

 (Shane and Gregory, 2013) argue that schools are in a unique position to influence the leadership development of students. They found that school principals play a dynamic role in developing student leadership. Student leadership was a meaningful activity, one that the students could undertake with purpose and pride, safe in the knowledge of adult support. Student leadership has a great impact on personal growth and development, and to the positive cultivation of school culture.

 (Hess, Lindsay, 2010) clarify that schools have a great opportunity to take the responsibility of bringing leadership skills into the classrooms. Elementary schools, in specific, can begin integrating leadership into the classroom. In the twenty-first century where theory supports leaders can be trained and are not just born mentality teachers, administrators should will develop ways in which students can be taught how to practice effective leadership skills. His research indicates there are very few leadership programs in Middle and High school and even fewer in elementary schools.

 (Salfi , 2010) study revealed that the head teachers of successful schools empower students and gave responsibilities to others to move school forward. The extent of organizational learning was found to be linked to the leadership practices of successful heads that included the provision of individual support, development of a trusting culture, shared decision making and distributed leadership, development of shared goals and vision. He argues that leadership activities should be distributed to those who have, or can develop, the knowledge or expertise required to carry out the leadership tasks expected of them. The initiatives of those to whom leadership is distributed must be coordinated in some planned way.

 (Patterson, 2012) argues in his research that through the diversity of leadership experiences, students are highly motivated and seek opportunities for personal development through professional school leadership. Studies conducted have indicated that the more hours spent per week performing teaching leadership skills activities, the more likely students show growth in leadership developmental area. He suggests that involvement in these student organizational activities will development higher rating on leadership skills and competencies measures.

The literature shows the important role the effective leadership in organizations, and particularly in private schools. There is a good deal of consensus in the literature about the key role of leadership, especially of the head teacher and teachers, in facilitating students` leadership skills improvement. This article explores the issue of leadership in the context of private schools. While these findings of literature review move beyond the analysis of leadership overall to consider the relative magnitude of impact of leadership, schools leader can perform good leadership skills and capture the qualities that really make a difference to student leadership skills. Recent research on teaching and learning, and on teacher learning, tells us a great deal about these qualities. If leadership research was more strongly connected with this evidence, and could discriminate between leadership practices that did and did not foster these qualities, it is likely that it would show leadership influences on student leadership skills that they may gain to be even stronger than those revealed here.

In this paper our focus is on private schools leadership in Jordan. It is to ascertain the private schools role in promoting and fostering leadership skills in students. These leadership skills include self confidence, the ability to influencing others, ambitions, persuasion and passion. Do private schools in Jordan have the vision of training students to acquire leadership skills and become future leaders?

Methodology:

While quantitative research method aims at making generalization about undertaking studies, qualitative research method aims at in depth understanding of the phenomena. (Merriam, 1998).

To analyze the data the Ground Theory Approach was employed (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). After finishing interviews data was categorized and main patterns were concluded. Since the concentration of the interviews were on the main four skills, exerts from participants were recorded that represent these skills.

 

Participants:

This study collected data from participants through in-depth semi structured interviews. The sample was purposefully, and conveniently, selected from three private schools in Jordan, two in Amman and one in Irbid. The following table1 shows the participants demographic information.

Table 1: Participants Demographic Description.

Participants	Gender	Qualification	Occupation	Location
1	Female	Diploma	Accountant	Amman
2	Female	Bachelor	Banker	Amman
3	Female	12th grade	House wife	Amman
4	Female	12th grade	House wife	Amman
5	Female	Bachelor	Teacher	Amman
6	Female	Bachelor	Sales manger	Amman
7	Male	Ph.D	Professor	Irbid
8	Male	Ph.D	Professor	Irbid
9	Female	BA	Unemployed	Irbid
10	Female	BA	Unemployed	Irbid

Participant was exposed to the below consent form before interview:

Please consider this information carefully before deciding whether to participate in this research. Purpose of the research: To understand the experiences of private school’s role in promoting leader ship skills among students. What you will do in this research: If you decide to volunteer, you will be asked to participate in one interview. You will be asked several questions.  Some of them will be about your child self confidence Others will be about your child ability of influancing otother will be about your child ambitions, and the last about your child passsion.  I will tape record the interviews so I don’t have to make so many notes. You will not be asked to state your name on the recording. Time required: The interview will take approximately 20-45 minutes. Risks: Some of the questions may cause discomfort or embarrassment. Benefits: This is a chance for you to tell your story about your experiences concerning private schools role in promoting leadership skills among your child. Confidentiality: Your responses to interview questions will be kept confidential. At no time will your actual identity be revealed. You will be assigned a random numerical code. Anyone who helps me transcribe responses will only know you by this code. The recording will be destroyed as soon as it has been transcribed. Participation and withdrawal: Your participation in this study is completely voluntary, and you may refuse to participate or withdraw from the study without penalty or loss of benefits to which you may otherwise be entitled. To Contact the Researcher: If you have questions or concerns about this research, please contact: Heba Abu Mughli , email: [email protected] , or You may also contact the faculty member supervising this work: Al Maseera School, email: [email protected] Agreement: The nature and purpose of this research have been sufficiently explained and I agree to participate in this study.  I understand that I am free to withdraw at any time without incurring any penalty. Signature: _____________________________________                 Date: __________________ Name (print): _______________________________________________

Study procedures:

After identifying study problem, and reviewing literature concerned with leadership in general, and educational leadership in specific, 10 interviews were conducted with parents in Amman and Irbid. The interviews took place mainly at schools, and were arranged by telephone. Ten people accepted to participate in the study and be interviewed, while 4 others have apologized for not having time to participate. All interviews were recorded with participants’ permission, and with the understanding that the recording will insure the accuracy of data collection and the representation of the participants’ views.

Following each interview, I have created short summary report, using key words as appropriate to facilitate comparisons and analyses of data collected. The report was presented to the interviewee for comment to insure I was fairly representing their opinions. After editing, the report represented again to interviewee, only at this stage data was used for synthesis.

List of questions was prepared to be asked. Each interview lasted about 40 minutes. Important questions may arise during the course of the interview. The primary questions revolve around participants views on the schools as given their children the opportunity to participate in leadership activities that may foster their leadership skills of self confidence, influencing others, ambitions and passion.

Data for each interview was filled in separated sheet. Then data was coded. Codes were given to each idea tied to each question as below tables:

Table 2: Data analyses related to question # 1 (Self confidence)

Self-confidence traits	Participants 1	Participant 2	Participant 3	Participant 4	Participant 5	Participant 6	Participant 7	Participant 8	Participant 9	Participant 10
Shyness	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ý	ý
Hesitate traits	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ý	ý
Self-esteemed	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ý	ý
Manage situations	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ý	ý

Table 3: Data analyses related to question # 2 (Ambitious attitudes)

Ambitious attitudes  traits	Participants 1	Participant 2	Participant 3	Participant 4	Participant 5	Participant 6	Participant 7	Participant 8	Participant 9	Participant 10
Futurist  thinking	ü	ü	ü	ý	ý	ý	ý	ü	ü	ü
Imitating others good attitudes	ü	ü	ü	ý	ý	ý	ý	ü	ü	ü

Table 4: Data analyses related to question # 3 (Ability to influencing others)

Ability to influencing others  traits	Participants 1	Participant 2	Participant 3	Participant 4	Participant 5	Participant 6	Participant 7	Participant 8	Participant 9	Participant 10
Having ethics (honesty, kind personality, helping others…)	ü	ü	ü	ý	ü	ý	ü	ü	ü	ý

Table 5: Data analyses related to question # 4 (passion to learn)

Passion to learn  traits	Participants 1	Participant 2	Participant 3	Participant 4	Participant 5	Participant 6	Participant 7	Participant 8	Participant 9	Participant 10
Open minded	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Arguing others	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Ability to persuade	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü

Study Results:

Results concerned with research question 1:

Do private schools promote self confidence of students?

As shown in table2, responses from participants have shown positive attitudes towards private schools in giving students self confidence trait. Teaching leadership at a young age can help a child to improve his leadership abilities as he grows older. The ability to lead is a highly desirable trait. In any case, the school must present model leadership to students. Eight interviewees explained the important role of the school in developing their sons personality from shyness, hesitate traits to more self confidence traits. The other two interviewees pointed that their sons already self confidences and proud of himself, however, the school plays important role in developing his character. Below are Excerpts of some participants` responses:

“My son was shy; however, after three years from joining this school, he became self confidence, more socialist, and independent.” (participant1).

 “He is already social, self confidence, however, after joining  the school, he became more and more self confidence, his teacher claims that I never trust him when he says he has no exams or duties, commenting that I should  believe him to increase his self-esteem” (participant2).

 “My son is able to do things alone, he never allows me help him, he tries to do things correctly saying: leave me do it alone” I will make it better than you” (participant2).

 

It is obvious that private schools` effective leadership has a great impact in students` self confidence improvement. Participant attributed their children increased self-esteem and ability to manage situations to the private schools experiences in giving students these traits.

Results concerned with research question 2:

Can private schools enhance students` ambitious attitudes?

Helping students to be good leaders is not only beneficial to the child, as a person, but also to the school, society and the nation at large. For students to contribute meaningfully to national development, acquisition of good leadership skills is necessary. Futurist thinking is the most significance skill to build up human personality to contribute in society development and progress.

Table3 explain that although responses have shown that no significant role for schools in giving students ambitious traits, all participants reflect that their sons prefer to be like their fathers. However, it seems that, still a relation between private school and ambitious traits.  Below are excerpts of some participant’s responses:

“My son always say that he wants to be like his father, although I encourage him to be a doctor or engineer, however, he answers: no, I want to be same as my father” (participant3)

 “My son left the private school for financial reasons; he used to say he wants to be like his elder brother.  But now after leaving the private school, he lost his futurist thinking and never want to be like any” (participant4)

 “He always said: I want to be a doctor, I will study more, to be a doctor, and I must gain higher marks” (participant1).

Participants` answers showed that private school has to do with students` futurist thinking and ambitious traits. Although most answers revealed that children keen to be like their fathers, however, private schools still have a significant role in developing futurist thinking trait.

Results concerned with research question 3:

Can private schools enhance students` ability to influence others?

Children who develop leadership in their young age will lead a life of extreme discipline and determination. Results have shown that students in private schools do influence others positively, as shown in table4,  Seven of participants mentioned that their sons have the ability to influence others and play the role of team player. The other participants explained that their sons already have the ability to influence others positively and the private school help developing this trait. Excerpts examples:

“My son tries to prevent his friends to lie, he also gains ethical traits from his friends, I think it’s a result of healthy environment in private schools” (participant5)

 “My son one a day came back from school telling me: today, my friend Ahmad imitate me and help blind man walking in the street same I did two days ago” (participant2)

A new idea has emerged while interviewing participants concerned with the healthy environment in private schools, such as: ethical traits related to honesty, doing homework, .etc. Students affect each other positively and prevent each other to do to bad practices.

Results concerned with research question 4:

To what extent can private schools foster students` passion for learning?

In effective private school leadership, there must be an enabling environment for these leaders to carry out their functions effectively. Table5 shows that all interviewees explains the positive role of private school in gaining students persuasion skill, claiming that the school has empowered students to take role in making decisions specifically through activities and practices, the reason behind becoming more persuasive and influencing. Excerpts examples:

 “My son was very calm and cool, after joining the school, he became more tolerant and open minded, think creatively and trying to persuade me of his opinion” (participant4)

“My son starts to become stronger and insist to do what he wants to do, trying to persuade me that he is right” (participant2)

 “My son sometimes suggests an idea such as go shopping, I neglect his idea, after while he tries to persuade me saying: Mum, weather is shiny, I have finished my home work, why not to go?” (participant5)

The quotes above confirm the private schools effective leadership ability to enhance students` persuasion skills, participants explain how their children became more open minded, more able to insist on their opinion, and arguing others.

Students should feel being valued and also get motivated to perform as leaders. Participants claimed that the constant incentives of private school affect students `passion and enthusiasm to learn. Ten interviewees have shown positive attitude towards school in giving students the opportunity to be more passion to learn. Excerpts examples:

“some claims that private school earn students more marks than what they actually deserve, last year, I had some circumstances that prevent me to take care of my son, I even hadn`t the opportunity to follow up his study schedule, however, he kept on studying and doing his daily home work, he never backward, the school rewards push him to do so” (participant3).

“My son usually back home asking me: Mum: please help me to do my home work, today I have learned a new strategy to calculate numbers in math, I should practice in order not to forget” (participant3)

One of the most significant roles of private schools is encouraging students to learn and being more passion to do things. Intensives they provide to students help in increasing their passion to learn and do things enthusiastically.

Discussion of Results:

Discussion of results related to question1

Do private schools promote self confidence of students?

Results showed positive views of participants towards private schools role in enhancing students self confidence, we can attribute students` leadership characteristics they have to the effective leadership private schools they have enrolled to, which influence learners` achievements and behaviors in general and self confidence in specific. Private schools usually find ways of harmonizing the tasks involved with school leadership and classroom practice, both in leadership qualifications and in practical, distributed structures.

Discussion of results related to question 2:

Can private schools enhance students` ambitious attitudes?

Most participant clarify the significant role of private schools to foster students ambitious attitudes, we may we review evidence about how private schools leaders directly influence their students. Our starting point is to acknowledge that leaders can only be influential, when we noticed how teachers in private schools encourage their students to learn taking in consideration their individual differences and each one ability, this will increase their willing to learn foster their futurist thinking.

Discussion of results related to question 3:

Can private schools enhance students` ability to influence others?

Data shows positive attitudes towards private schools role in promoting students ability to influence others. It is known that leader influence the followers. The importance of educational leadership and how it affects groups, teachers, and students is a key point of student’s ability to influence others. Good teacher ethics will extremely imitated by his students. We can attribute students` ability to influence others they have to the effective leadership private schools they have enrolled to, which influence learners` achievements and behaviors.

Discussion of results related to question 4:

To what extent can private schools foster students` passion for learning?

Tabel4 illustrate private schools important role in fostering student`s passion for learning. Private schools see it is important to select a good leader who can fulfill schools visions and goals. It may be impossible to find the optimal leader, but it may be more important to find a person with right values, a drive, and a willingness to learn and to make development. Private school environment presented in teachers, head master, and director’s contributions enhance students willing to learn.

In this study we have found that research on leadership and leaders, have a very long history. Much of this is due to the continuous changes organizations and leaders meet in everyday life. New conditions and a changeably context, is reality for many leaders of today. In this study, we researched the importance of leadership skills in general, and in private schools in specific. It has been founded that students enrolled in private schools extensively affected by effective school leadership. The school has the ability to foster students` important leadership skills (self confidence, ambitious, influence others, persuasion, and passion) that they may utilize on their daily life and future occupation as well. And of course these things matters. It is important to select a good leader who can fulfill this visions and goals. And to answer the question, have effective schools` leadership the ability to improve students` leadership skills?  The answer is yes, leadership does have the ability to promote and foster students` leadership skills.

There is a need to find a balance between the focus on school leaders, their competences and their situations, on the one hand, and the focus on the distribution of leadership tasks and responsibilities in flexible systems on the other hand. This can both improve the load on individual school heads, and can develop leadership across the school, leading to greater empowerment of staff and an increase in school capacity for improvement.

 Recommendations

Referring to study results, the researcher recommended the followings:

• Parents advisable to enroll their students in private schools to obtain leadership skills.
• Private schools should enroll teachers in training courses subjected to leader ship skills.
• Universities should add leadership skills courses to its whole teaching system.
• Further researches concerned with leadership should be took place.

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الملخص: هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى التعرف على دور المدارس الخاصة في دعم وتقوية مهارات القيادة لدى الطلبة في الأردن، لتحقيق أهداف الدراسة استخدمت الباحثة المقابلات كأداة للدراسة، وركزت أسئلة المقابلة على أربعة محاور تمحورت حول مهارات القيادة وهي: الثقة بالنفس، التأثير في الآخرين، الطموح، والحماس. طبقت الدراسة على 10 أفراد من أولياء أمور الطلبة الملتحقين بالمدارس الخاصة في كل من مدينتي عمان  وإربد، إذ تم إجراء المقابلات لمعرفة آرائهم حول دور المدارس الخاصة في تقوية مهارات القيادة الأربعة لدى أبنائهم. وأسفرت النتائج عن وجود أثر إيجابي للمدارس الخاصة في تقوية هذه المهارات لدى الطلبة.

الكلمات المفتاحية: المدارس الخاصة ، التعليم في الأردن، مهارات القيادة