Examining leadership styles and their impact on K-12 school performance in Mauritius: A systematic review

This paper reports on results from a systematic literature review on K-12 educational leadership in the specific case of Mauritius. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, this review identifies and synthesizes empirical studies that discuss significant leadership problems confronted by school leaders, including lack of professional development, change resistance, and limited resources. It also looks at the impact of interventions and current practise in leadership that contributes to school improvement such as those associated with professional development, distributive models of leadership and the purposeful use of ICT. The results suggest that transformational, instructional and distributed leadership styles have significant impact on school culture, academic achievement and organisational efficiency. The review further highlights the need for specific leadership strategies which take into consideration the Mauritian context, directly linking to international objectives related to inclusive and effective education. Policymakers and educational stakeholders should consider these recommendations when addressing leadership practices to enhance the educational sector in Mauritius.