Leadership Alignment in Education: Exploring Instructional and Change Leadership Competencies across Administrative and Teaching Roles

Abstract

Introduction: Instructional leadership and change leadership are two critical dimensions of educational leadership that significantly influence institutional effectiveness, teacher performance, and organizational adaptation. While both constructs are often discussed in educational leadership discourse, limited empirical studies directly compare how administrators and teachers perceive their enactment within a single institutional context.

Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) compare the levels of instructional leadership competencies between school administrators and teachers; (2) compare the levels of change leadership competencies between the two groups; and (3) examine the correlation between instructional leadership and change leadership competencies.

Methods: A descriptive survey design was employed involving a total of 28 school administrators and 220 teachers from a government college in Zamboanga del Sur. Standardized and validated leadership competency scales were administered using both Google Forms and printed questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and Pearson correlation.

Results: Findings revealed that both instructional and change leadership competencies were rated as “Always Manifested” by both groups, with teachers consistently reporting slightly higher mean scores than administrators. Significant differences were found between administrators and teachers in their perceived leadership competencies. However, correlation analysis indicated no significant relationship between instructional and change leadership competencies, suggesting that these constructs operate as distinct leadership dimensions.

Conclusions: The study concludes that although leadership competencies are strongly manifested, perceptual gaps exist between administrators and teachers, emphasizing the need for leadership alignment and reflective practice. The independence of instructional and change leadership constructs highlights the importance of addressing both dimensions in leadership development programs to cultivate a more cohesive and adaptive leadership culture