School Heads’ Supervisory Skills, Leadership Practices and Teachers’ Morale

Abstract

This study investigated the levels of school heads’ supervisory skills, leadership practices, and teachers’ morale in a district, in a medium-sized Schools Division in Central Negros Philippines, during the School Year 2024–2025. Utilizing a descriptive research design, the study involved 166 public elementary school teachers selected from a total population of 289 teachers across seven schools in the district. A researcher-made instrument was employed to gather data on the variables, and statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman’s rho were used to analyze the results. The study aimed to determine the profile of teachers, assess school heads' supervisory skills and leadership practices, and explore how these relate to the morale of teachers. Findings revealed that most teachers were young, married, had relatively lower incomes, held bachelor's degrees, and occupied lower plantilla positions. School heads exhibited excellent supervisory skills, particularly in interpersonal communication and conflict, time, and instructional management. Their leadership practices were strongest in transformational and servant leadership, with commendable performance also in transactional and instructional styles. Teachers across all demographics reported high morale, especially in workplace management. Results showed that age influenced perceptions of leadership, with younger teachers viewing school heads more favorably. Importantly, there were significant positive correlations between school heads’ supervisory skills and leadership practices and teachers’ morale, underscoring the critical role of effective school leadership in fostering a motivated and productive teaching environment.