Rethinking leadership effectiveness in education
Empirical validation of Reddin’s Three-Dimensional Leadership Theory among educational supervisors
Keywords:
Reddin’s Three-Dimensional Leadership Theory, educational supervision, leadership effectiveness, task orientation, relationship orientation, OmanAbstract
Educational leadership effectiveness remains a central concern in contemporary educational research due to its influence on teacher development, organizational improvement, and the quality of educational practices. While recent leadership studies have emphasized transformational, instructional, and distributed leadership approaches, classical contingency theories continue to provide valuable perspectives for understanding how leadership behaviours contribute to organizational effectiveness. This study examined the applicability of Reddin’s Three-Dimensional Leadership Theory among educational supervisors in the Sultanate of Oman by investigating the dimensions of task orientation, relationship orientation, and leadership effectiveness. A quantitative survey design was employed among 291 senior teachers selected through stratified random sampling from schools across four educational governorates in Oman. Data were analyzed using reliability analysis and construct validity procedures to examine the measurement quality and theoretical structure of the leadership instrument. The findings demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the overall leadership scale and its three dimensions. Strong relationships were also identified among task orientation, relationship orientation, and leadership effectiveness, providing empirical support for Reddin’s multidimensional leadership perspective. The study contributes to educational leadership scholarship by demonstrating the continued relevance of contingency-based leadership theory within an Arab educational context and by emphasizing that leadership should be evaluated not only through observable behaviours but also through their effectiveness in achieving meaningful educational outcomes.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Said Khalfan Ahmed Al Mayyahi
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