Title: INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP: ITS IMPACT ON TEACHER COMPETENCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Author:
Felma G. Mariñas
Abstract:
This study examined how instructional leadership shapes teacher competence in public elementary schools in the Balaoan District, Division of La Union. Anchored in Hallinger’s Instructional Leadership Model, it used a predictive correlational design involving 100 teachers selected through stratified random sampling. Data were gathered through the researcher-made Instructional Leadership and Teacher Competence Scale (ILTCS), which demonstrated strong validity (CVI = 0.93) and reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.94 for instructional leadership and 0.93 for teacher competence). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression were employed to examine the data.The findings present a generally encouraging picture. Instructional leadership was rated high overall (M = 3.74), with Fostering a Positive Instructional Climate obtaining the highest mean (M = 3.95), while Promoting Teacher Professional Development received the lowest (M = 3.42). Teacher competence was likewise rated high (M = 3.75). Content Knowledge and Pedagogy led the dimensions (M = 3.94), whereas Professional Engagement and Development registered the lowest rating (M = 3.56).More tellingly, instructional leadership was strongly and positively associated with teacher competence (r = 0.58, p < 0.01). Regression analysis further showed that instructional leadership significantly predicted teacher competence (β = 0.58, p < 0.001), accounting for 34% of its variance. These findings suggest that leadership matters not simply as an administrative function but as an everyday influence on teachers’ professional practice. The study therefore points to the need for school heads to strengthen instructional leadership, particularly professional development, while investing in sustained capacity-building for educational leaders within public schools.
Keywords: Instructional leadership, teacher competence, school leadership, teacher professional development, public schools.
PDF Download