Decision-Making Practices and Challenges Encountered by The School Heads: A Perspective Analysis

AUTHOR(S)

JOHN JOLO G. NAMOC

ABSTRACT

— This study investigated the decision-making practices and leadership challenges encountered by school heads as perceived by both administrators and teachers in Matalom North District, Schools Division of Leyte, during the School Year 2024–2025. Utilizing a descriptivecorrelational design, the research explored the relationship between demographic profiles and perceptions of decision-making efficacy and leadership difficulties. Findings revealed that school heads demonstrated high competency in areas such as data utilization, decentralization, and policy adaptability. However, a significant gap was noted in stakeholder engagement, particularly in the inclusion of teachers in governance processes, with teacher respondents rating their involvement notably lower than their administrative counterparts. The study also revealed moderate to high levels of leadership challenges, with school heads identifying sustainability and long-term planning as the most pressing concerns, while teachers emphasized ethical dilemmas and conflicting stakeholder interests. Despite strong institutional experience among respondents— most having over two decades of service the results showed that demographic and experiential variables had limited predictive power in explaining either leadership effectiveness or perceived challenges. Civil status emerged as the only statistically significant predictor, indicating that deeper relational or systemic factors play a more decisive role in leadership quality. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was observed between active decision-making and the level of challenges encountered, suggesting that increased engagement in inclusive or ethical leadership may expose deeper systemic tensions. The findings call for a shift toward collaborative leadership models, enhanced stakeholder participation, and ethical leadership development. The study underscores the need for systemic reforms and capacity-building programs that move beyond individual attributes and foster resilient, participatory, and adaptive school leadership. Keywords — School leadership, Decision-making practices, Ethical challenges, Stakeholder engagement, educational governance