Unfolding the Leadership Styles of Selected Filipino School Managers Vis-A-Vis the School Climate

Abstract

The phenomenon of leadership is widely used and has occurred in many organizations such as in politics, business, military and the academe. Leadership is a developed traits and characteristics; it is managing a group of people in the direction of shared goals and merely provides management and allows the team member to find out their own ways and practice to achieve the organizational objectives. Leadership is vital to the triumph, growth and change of an organization (Powell, 2011). In addition to its essential role in the organizational function of society, leadership has a wide spectrum of influences. In every organization, employees with high sense of responsibility and engagement become assets of the company. They ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of their outputs and contribute to the achievement of the vision and mission of the organization (Deligero & Laguador, 2014). Sustained positive school climate is associated with positive child and youth development, effective risk prevention and health promotion efforts, student learning and academic achievement, increased student graduation rates, and teacher retention. (P. M. Brown et al., 2012). This study was conducted to explore the lived experiences in the leadership styles of the school managers and its relation to school climate of the schools where they are assigned in the First Congressional District of Camarines Sur, Philippines for school year 2015-2016. Methods used were Utilized Qualitative Phenomenological research. Data was taken from informants live experiences and Identified using the inclusion-exclusion criteria. General safeguard and ethics procedure was given. Interviews, Observation and Focus Group Discussions were also employed. Transcribed verbatim to identify themes and patterns. The teachers when asked if how long have their school heads been serving as a principal in their school, majority of the teachers made known that they have served three or more years in the service. Principal A served three years, Principal B served for almost four years, Principal C for three years and Principal D worked as a principal for thirteen long years. The researcher thought that the possible answers the teachers will give about the other social roles or other roles their principal portray, would be community roles but it was different. For them, the other roles their principals portrayed are information disseminator, a friend, an adviser, second parents, mentor and other roles such as role model, disciplinarian, physical facilities improver and a great motivator. When the principals are asked also about their other roles, they answer the same way their teachers does. A great number of teachers and school heads themselves perceived that the school heads leadership styles employed most of the times are combination of two or more of the following leadership styles; being a democratic leader, servant leader, sometimes democratic sometimes autocratic leaders, strict leader, consultative leader, delegative leader and participative leader. In the focused group discussion and interviews made by the researcher to the teachers and principals about the school climate along relationship and based from their descriptions there are two categories that transpired; 1) the good/harmonious relationship because of the cooperation shown and support of the internal and external stakeholders especially the parents and having always an open and constant communication and 2) the fair relationship because of according to some teachers in their perception that not all stakeholders are supportive, cooperative and participative in the schools different activities. Talking about the school climate along teaching and learning basically how the teachers and principals manage classroom procedures and do classroom assessment. In their answers came out three step by step procedures in managing classroom procedures and they are; a) cleaning of classroom and territorial assignment, b) conducting classroom routinely activities and c) the lesson proper per se while in the conduct of classroom assessment cropped out two patterns and that is by using the DepEd Order no. 8 series of 2015 and by using rubrics.