This qualitative study explored core and adjunct faculty members' transformational leadership and power usage in relation to students' affective learning in the classroom. Current research has focused on instructors in general and has not distinguished between types of instructors. The literature on transformational leadership, social power bases, and affective learning were reviewed. The study consisted of 565 graduate-level students from the United States. The methods used included a confirmatory factor analysis, multiple regression, and binary logistic regression. The study identified that instructors that demonstrate transformational leadership have positive outcomes on student learning. The study did not find a significant difference between core and adjunct faculty as it relates to student learning. The study contributed to the gap in the current literature and provided educational institutions with a source that supports hiring more adjunct faculty than core faculty. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]