ABSTRACT
This study aimed to distinguish the Level of Leadership Skills and School-Based Management Performance of School Principals in the Division of Calamba City with its output, the Leadership Framework. The descriptive method was utilized, and the respondents were the school heads and teachers in the said division. The researcher used a questionnaire and a simple mean and four-point Likert scale, t-test, and Pearson’s r was used for its statistical treatment.
Accordingly, all of the indicators of leadership skills were very strong. Whereas, there is no significant difference between the assessment of school principals and teachers on the level of leadership skills in terms of communication, critical thinking, and decision making. However, in terms of leadership, it showed significance. As for the school-based management performance, school G was advanced, schools’ E and K were maturing, and the rest were under the developing level. Meanwhile, there is no significant relationship between the level of leadership skills and school-based management performance of school principals in communication, critical thinking, and decision making. On the other hand, the results in the leadership showed significance.
Consequently, the Leadership Framework output is necessary for the “developing” school principals to attain the highest performance rating of “advanced” as regards School-Based Management.
Keywords: leadership skills and school-based management (SBM), school heads, public school teachers and public schools
1.0 INTRODUCTION
School leadership is now an education policy priority around the world. The role of school leaders has had to change as a result of increased school autonomy and a greater focus on education and outcomes. There is much room for improvement in professionalizing school leadership, supporting current school leaders, and making school leadership an attractive career for future candidates (Pont et al., 2014).
Moreover, for every school, the school head/principal plays a vital role in the administration of education. Every principal's shoulder rests the school's success or failure—the principal functions as an educational manager, administrative planner, and instructional supervisor. As instructional supervisors, he/shall see to it that the conditions of effective teaching and learning are met; the teacher is well trained and motivated; adequate instructional materials are provided; the teacher is not destructed by many non-teaching activities and, and is well supervised and given a voice in improving the teaching-learning environment.
Section 4 of the Republic Act 9155 defined school heads/principals as: “a person responsible for the administrative and instructional supervision of the school and accountable for the promotion and preservation of academic excellence and effective teaching and learning. The numerous tasks of a school principal are enumerated in Section 7: the principal, as an administrative supervisor, shall lead in all educational activities and programs. In this endeavor, the principal shall show professional courtesy, helpfulness, and sympathy towards teachers and other personnel. Such practices observe effective school supervision standards, dignified administration, responsible leadership, and enlightened direction.”
The DepEd Manual of 2000 also enumerated the duties and responsibilities of school principals as follow: supervise all personnel in the school; provide leadership in the development and implementation of all programs in the school; promote the efficiency of teaching and learning in all classes through in-service training, observations, and visits; coordinate all services for the wholesome growth and development of all pupils and other personnel in the school; lead in the evaluation of achievements in the division; direct the organization of classes; determine and assign the teaching loads of the staff; make proper distribution of instructional and other materials; provide for the accommodation of pupils including the availability of buildings for classrooms and different school needs. School principals also coordinate and cooperate with the community and other agencies and represent the district supervisor in the school; prepare, consolidate, and submit all reports of the school to the district supervisor; rate the performance of the teachers in the school and recommend the deserving ones for promotions; and do related work.
In view of the school heads/principals' multifarious tasks and supervisory roles, it is inherent upon them to acquire supervisory skills to achieve an effective educational administration by examining the quality of their behavior and observing the relationship that exists between tasks to perform. They must be willing to accept the need for continuous change and creativity in all educational programs.
Hee (2013) wrote that school principals' leadership skill is often the critical factor of difference between effective and ineffective schools. School principals with strong leadership skills, according to some researchers, promote a healthy school environment, which includes high-quality school culture, teaching and learning, evaluation, academic and non-academic success, two-way communication, and relationships between the school, families, and the wider community. Part of the rising need for enhanced school heads and principals' enhanced skills are improving their leadership and management efficiency. Influential leaders, according to Doyle (2019), can effectively collaborate, inspire their staff, manage and delegate tasks, listen to feedback, and solve challenges in an ever-changing workplace. Furthermore, in a report by the Wallace Foundation (2013), on a list of challenges in public education, school administrators, politicians, and others declared principal leadership to be among the most important. Teacher quality stood above everything else, but principal leadership came next, outstripping matters including dropout rates, education, student testing, and preparation for career endeavors.
A practical school head or principal makes sure that the faculty's notion of academic success is picked up by the faculty and underpins what the school describes as a school-wide learning improvement agenda that focuses on student progress goals.
The researcher opted to determine those in public schools' leadership skills to relate them to their School-Based Management Program performance. He was prompted to accomplish such due to the concepts he encountered in one of his subjects in graduate studies. Specifically, the exchanging of views of some of his classmates who were teaching in the public schools triggered the researcher’s interest to propose this study.
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