Distributed Leadership and Teachers’ Organisational Commitment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the teachers' perception on the practice of distributed leadership among public elementary schools in the District of Mariveles, Bataan and find its relationship with the teachers' organisational commitment. Descriptive-correlational research design was employed in the study. The Distributed Leadership Questionnaire was adapted and modified to determine the teachers' perception on the practice of distributed leadership in their schools. To describe the teachers' organisational commitment, the questionnaire on organisational commitment was used. The population comprised of 463 teachers from nineteen (19) public elementary schools in the District of Mariveles, Bataan. Proportional Stratified Random Sampling was used to determine the sample size in each school. The 215 teacher-respondents were selected using the simple random sampling. The researcher personally distributed the questionnaires to the teacher-respondents. Data collected were coded and entered into the computer for analysis using the statistical package for socialsciences (SPSS). Frequency and percentage distribution were used to determine the profile of the respondents. Weighted mean was used to measure the general response of the respondents. Pearson's Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation (r)was used to determine the degree of relationship between the distributed leadership practices and teachers' organisational commitment. Major findings in this study led to the following conclusions: most of the respondents were from the age brackets of 3144––0 and 4155––0years old, females, married, have acquired units in the master's program, and have 6 to 10 years of service as a public school teacher. Teachers perceived that the distributed leadership in the aspects of school structure, vision, values and beliefs, collaboration and cooperation, decision making, responsibility and accountability and initiatives was strongly practiced in their schools. Generally, teachers strongly believe that the school structure provided them opportunities for decision making within predetermined boundaries of responsibility and accountability, they have a shared vision, follow DepEd's standards,and work collaboratively to achieve school goals. Teachers were also given freedom to contribute their ideas to improve their work. Commitment to school, teaching work, teaching profession and work group was strong. Generally, teachers are strongly committed in working hard for the best interests of their schools, in exerting efforts to perform their tasks in the best way possible, in upholding the honour and dignity of the teaching profession and in maintaining a conducive working environment with their fellow teachers in the organisation. The practice of distributed leadership in the aspects of school structure, vision, values and beliefs, collaboration and cooperation, decision making, responsibility and accountability and initiatives had a significant relationship with the teachers' organisational commitment in terms of commitment to school, teaching work, teaching work and work group. There were also moderate to strong positive relationship between the distributed leadership practices by aspects and all indicators of organisational commitment. Thus, as the practice of distributed leadership increases, teachers' organisational commitment also increases.