The Leadership Competencies of the School Heads in the Province of Albay During the Pandemic

Abstract

This study investigated the leadership competencies demonstrated by public secondary school heads in the Division of Albay during the COVID-19 pandemic and the new normal educational set-up. It examined their experiences in five domains - leading strategically, managing school operations and resources, focusing on teaching and learning, developing self and others, and building connections - and sought to identify strengths from those experiences and derive a leadership philosophy. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Twelve school heads were included, with three representatives each from small, medium, large, and mega-large public secondary schools. Data were gathered through a panel-validated open-ended interview guide in one-on-one virtual interviews. Recorded responses were transcribed, coded, collated, and categorized through qualitative content and thematic analysis. Findings showed that the school heads encountered both shared and context-specific demands across the five domains. Their responses consistently reflected adaptation to DepEd and public-health policies, frequent communication through available face-to-face and digital channels, and collaboration with teachers, parents, local government units, barangay officials, learners, and other stakeholders. Internet instability, resource limitations, module production and distribution, health protocols, and the need to sustain teacher and learner support intensified leadership demands. Across the experiences, adaptation, communication, and collaboration emerged as the principal strengths, supported by positive personal attributes such as integrity, transparency, trust, motivation, and service orientation. From these findings, the study derived an Integrative Approach Leadership Philosophy that combines adaptability, communication, collaboration, and positive personal attributes in crisis leadership. The findings imply that leadership development, school planning, and crisis preparedness should deliberately strengthen these interconnected competencies.