Exploring the foundations of effective decision-making and moral leadership in education

Abstract

This study explores the key skills leaders need for effective decision-making in schools, with a novel focus on the ethical dimension’s direct influence on leadership outcomes. The purpose of the research was to record the views of teachers (permanent and substitute) in Kozani on the conditions that must be met for proper decision- making and what role ethics plays in making these decisions and the character of the leader.  Previous research has examined leadership traits while our study uniquely captures the views of teachers (both permanent and substitute) in Kozani, Western Macedonia regarding the role of ethics in shaping leadership character. The research questions address ethical decision-making, how ethical leadership affects teachers' professional and personal lives and the criteria for evaluating teachers and school principals. A sample of 160 primary school teachers responded to eleven closed-ended questions. The findings highlight that key leadership qualities include decisiveness, legal knowledge, organizational skills, innovation and strong analytical thinking. Ethics is considered crucial depending on the leader's intellectual, cognitive, and emotional state. The sample was collected using systematic sampling, ensuring generalizable and representative results. This study provides strong evidence that ethical leadership is essential for effective decision-making in education with potential implications for leadership training programs. This study underscores the necessity of incorporating ethics-centered training into leadership development programs for school principals and educators, ensuring that ethical considerations are systematically integrated into decision-making in educational environments.