Coastal School Administration and Continuity Challenges during Environmental Pressure

Abstract

This study investigated how coastal school administration influenced continuity challenges during periods of environmental pressure in Maconacon, Isabela. Using a cross-sectional explanatory resilience-mapping design, data were gathered from 45 administrative officers, school heads, and school personnel with direct responsibilities in school operations, disaster preparedness, communication, logistics, and continuity planning. A validated Coastal School Administration and Continuity Scale was used, with the data analyzed through robust descriptive statistics, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, and Importance-Performance Map Analysis. Findings showed that anticipatory coordination and adaptive decision-making were relatively strong, while communication continuity and resource mobilization remained more constrained. Access and mobility emerged as the most serious continuity challenge, followed by facilities and utilities and workforce and logistical strain. The structural model explained 62% of the variance in continuity challenges, with communication continuity producing the strongest significant effect, followed by resource mobilization and adaptive decision-making. Importance-performance mapping further identified communication continuity as the highest administrative priority for improvement. The results indicated that coastal schools were generally capable of planning and making adaptive decisions, but their continuity capacity weakened when environmental conditions disrupted communication, transportation, utilities, and resource movement. Strengthening redundant communication systems, prepositioning essential resources, improving logistical coordination, and institutionalizing interagency support were therefore recommended to sustain school operations during environmental disruption.