School principals as instructional leaders: an investigation of school leadership capacity in the Philippines.

Abstract

Decentralization and school-based management are shaping the role of the school principal as instructional leader. However, in Asia many principals are not prepared for this new role. This study identified factors related to the extent Filipino school principals thought they were capable of supporting teachers' classroom instruction through instructional supervision, professional development, and classroom resources; and the extent they thought these instructional supports were effective. It also measured principals' confidence in supporting teachers' classroom instruction after participation in an instructional leadership training program offered by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH). This study was conceptually grounded in the principal-agent relationship as described by Galal (2002) and Chapman (2008), and Kemmerer's (1990) model for teacher incentives. Bandura's (1977) concept of self-efficacy served as a framework for investigating school principalship. Analyses were conducted on data from 364 principals. Linear regression analysis showed that Filipino principals thought their capacity to support teachers through instructional supervision and professional development was dependent on their beliefs as to whether these instructional supports could make a difference in classroom instruction, their level of control, time they spent on instructional leadership and their degree of job satisfaction. Principals thought their capacity to support teachers through classroom resources was only dependent on their level of control over them and their beliefs as to whether they could make a difference in classroom instruction. Results also showed that principals' beliefs as to whether instructional supports were effective in supporting teachers' classroom instruction were dependent upon how effective they think they are as school principals and how capable they think their teachers are in guiding student achievement. MANOVA results indicated no differences related to demographic and contextual factors among principals' beliefs about their capacity to support teachers and their beliefs about the effectiveness of the instructional supports. Seventy-five percent of principals attributed their capacity to the hands-on training they received. The findings are important for formulation and implementation of school-based management policies, and for the design of education reform initiatives and training programs supporting school principals to be instructional leaders.