Relationship of Leadership Styles and Leadership Behaviors of Principals on Teachers' Teaching Competencies

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

As the major agents in the promotion of school effectiveness, principals are the pillars of the educational system especially at the second tier of the educational pyramid. Today, the position of the principal is far more sophisticated and the job is far more complex than in previous decades. The Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 espoused principal empowerment and wide latitude to decide on how to improve the schools. The principals were empowered to undertake school-based training programs purposely designed to develop and enrich appropriate and relevant curriculum that will cater to the needs of the students and the teachers and the school community through innovative approaches and creative strategies.

METHODS

This study utilized the descriptive-correlational method of research. The study also described the teachers' teaching competence based on their IPCRF ratings school year 2017-2018 particularly on Instructional Competence, (Domain I-A). There were 100 teacher-respondents from the municipality of Maasim. This study used a Questionnaire of two parts. Part I is on Leadership Styles of Principals/School Heads. The questionnaire was adopted from Makar (2001). Pearson r was used to determine the relationship between teachers' teaching competencies and the principals' leadership styles and likewise the relationship between teachers' teaching competencies and the principals' leadership behavior.

RESULTS

Correlation results show that teachers' teaching competencies are significantly influenced by their principals' leadership styles as autocratic (r=.380, p=.041) and democratic (r=4.81, p=.039). Their relationships are significant as shown by the p-values less than .05 (p<.05). This result indicates that teachers tend to be more competent in their teaching duties and responsibilities in the classrooms when their principals are autocratic such as telling teachers what to do, closely monitoring teachers, sometimes threatening teachers with punishments, and retaining final decision-making within him. The results of the correlation test show that the teachers' teaching competencies are significantly influenced by their principals as instructional leaders (r=0.284, p=0.038) and as school managers (r=0.390, p=0.044) as shown by their p-values which are less than 0.05. To summarize, teachers perform better and higher in the teaching-learning situations in the classrooms when the school principals exercise often their responsibilities as instructional leaders and school managers.

DISCUSSIONS

Principals often demonstrate the leadership styles of being democratic, autocratic, and laissez-faire in varying extent. Principals often exercise their functions as instructional leaders and school managers Teachers become more competent when their principals exercise the functions as instructional leaders and school managers. Principals should continue exercising their functions as school managers following the democratic leadership styles and to some extent the autocratic leadership styles. They should however, refrain from threatening their teachers with punishment to get them achieve organizational goals. Principals should exercise their functions as instructional leaders and school managers daily to the maximum.