From Values to Practices: A Study of School Leadership Dynamics in DepEd

Abstract

Introduction: This study examined the relationship between interpersonal values and supervisory practices among school leaders in the DepEd Division of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. It compared principal-led and head teacher-led teacher groups to identify role-specific differences in how values translate into practices.

Objectives: The research had three objectives: (1) to describe the core constructs of interpersonal values (community-oriented, nationalistic, ownership, independence, camaraderie, unity) and supervisory practices (teacher meetings, teaching-learning improvement, demonstration teaching, morale-building, decision-making, achievements); (2) to compare these constructs between leadership groups; and (3) to analyze their correlations.

Methods: Using an analytic descriptive-survey design, the study surveyed 549 teachers (292 principal-led, 257 head teacher-led) across 15 districts. Validated 6-point Likert scale questionnaires (α=0.85-0.88) measured both constructs. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Pearson correlation.

Results: The study's analysis of 549 teachers revealed three main findings. First, while both principal-led (M=5.18) and head teacher-led (M=5.06) groups showed strong interpersonal values, there was no significant difference between them (p=0.114). Second, head teachers demonstrated slightly but significantly better implementation of supervisory practices overall (M=5.33 vs 5.25, p<0.05), particularly in classroom-focused areas. Third, a weak but statistically significant correlation emerged between values and practices across all participants (r=0.12, p=0.006).

Conclusions: The study concludes that while Zamboanga del Sur's school leaders share strong foundational values, their supervisory approaches vary by organizational role. Recommendations include developing role-specific training programs, creating peer mentoring systems, and implementing values-practice alignment tools. These findings contribute to understanding how distributed leadership operates in Philippine public schools and offer practical strategies for enhancing leadership effectiveness through values-based, context-sensitive approaches.