Abstract

Education plays a crucial role in the development of societies in the developing world. The purpose of this study was to
assess the impact of transactional leadership on the academic performance of primary school students in social studies
in Munkunyu sub county, Kasese District. The study utilized a cross-sectional survey design, combining quantitative
and qualitative approaches. The quantitative data was processed by coding and entering it into SPSS 22.0. The data
was then summarized using frequency tables to identify errors and make necessary edits. The correlation between the
variables was found to be r=0.338; p=0.003. This indicates a significant correlation between transformational leadership
and learners' performance. A value of r=0.338 suggests a strong contribution. Based on the evidence at the 5%
significance level, the researcher concludes that transformational leadership significantly contributes to learners'
performance. The study also revealed that although respondents acknowledged the impact of leadership style on
academic performance, headteachers did not gain enough confidence from stakeholders to implement strategies that
could enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
Keywords: transactional leadership, academic performance, primary school, pupils, social studies