ABSTRACT:

The study was aimed at investigating how teacher's leadership styles and how it enhances academic achievement of high ability students for National development in Calabar Municipal. Inferential survey design was adopted for the study. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were developed on the basis of the two leadership styles, that were considered. These are teacher dictator and teacher free spirit leadership styles, as well as the dependent variable of academic achievement of high ability students. The sample for the study was 50 teachers selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected through a 15- item questionnaire that was validated by three experts in measurement and evaluation and special education. A reliability coefficient 0.72 and 0.78 was obtained through split-half method reliability. The data collected was statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance at .05 level of significance. The result showed that there exists a positive influence of teacher dictator and teacher free spirit leadership styles on academic achievement of high ability students. It was then recommended among others that teachers should adopt appropriate leadership styles in the education of gifted and talented children in other to enhance their performance for national development.