School Heads' Principle-Centered Leadership and their Methods of Influence: Inputs to Improving School Performance

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Education is regarded as the major contributor to the improvement of living standards of every individual most specially the disadvantaged groups. School heads play a crucial role in leading the school towards the attainment of its mission, vision, and goals specifically in providing quality education for all. But despite the continuous efforts of Department of Education, low school performance is still an alarming issue that should be given remedy. It is in this context that the researcher became interested with the study of the factors that can influence the schools', teachers' as well as school heads' performance.

METHODS

The researcher made use of the descriptive research and correlational design. The respondents were 77 elementary public school heads and 1, 247 elementary school teachers in selected schools from the second congressional district in the Division of Quezon during the school year 2017-2018. The primary instrument that was utilized in collecting data is the combination of researcher-made and standardized checklist with five parts namely.

RESULTS

The results revealed significance in the regression of leadership styles, leadership behavior and methods of influence as predictors of the school's performance as to retention rate; teachers' performance as to teaching-learning process, pupils' outcomes and community involvement; and school heads' performance as to self-management, professionalism and ethics, result focus and people performance management.

DISCUSSIONS

On the basis of the findings and the conclusions of the study, the following recommendations can be made for educational practice: Principle-centered leadership styles can be included in the trainings for school heads and teachers. Proper knowledge on leadership styles will help a lot in the enhancement of the school's,teachers' and school heads' performance. School heads must be helped on how to enhance their security, guidance, wisdom and power through in-service trainings. LAC sessions may also be conducted so as to make the school heads and teachers aware of their different perceptions on leadership behavior and thus come up with strategies on how such differences may be addressed.