School Heads’ Management Practices as Correlates of School-Based Management (SBM) Ratings of Schools in Calamba City

Abstract

This study examined the management practices of school heads and their relationship with the questionnaire-based assessment of School-Based Management (SBM) implementation in 19 selected elementary schools in the Schools Division of Calamba City. It described the respondents according to sex, age, and years in service; assessed management practices in instructional management, resource management, personnel management, and governance and stakeholder engagement; and evaluated SBM in leadership and governance, curriculum and learning, transparency and monitoring, and resource mobilization. A quantitative descriptive-comparative-correlational design was employed using census sampling of all 73 eligible Master Teachers. Data were gathered through a validated and pilot-tested researcher-modified questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, standard deviation, one-way analysis of variance at α = .05, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation. Most respondents were female (67.1%), aged 56–60 years (37.0%), and had 31–35 years of service (23.3%). The management practices of school heads were rated Strongly Agree and interpreted as Highly Practiced (M = 3.87, SD = 0.14), while the questionnaire-based SBM assessment was rated Strongly Agree and interpreted as Very High (M = 3.79, SD = 0.16). One-way ANOVA found no significant differences by sex for either management practices or SBM assessment. Management-practice differences by age were significant for Instructional Management, Governance and Stakeholder Engagement, and Overall Management Practices (all p ≤ .034), while no management-practice outcome differed significantly by years in service. SBM-assessment differences by age and years in service were significant for Leadership and Governance, Curriculum and Learning, Transparency and Monitoring, and Overall SBM Assessment (age: all p ≤ .038; years in service: all p ≤ .005). Resource Mobilization did not differ significantly across age or years-in-service groups. Because several demographic groups were small and unequal, these omnibus results were interpreted cautiously. All correlations between management-practice and SBM-assessment variables were positive and statistically significant at α = .05. Overall Management Practices had a very strong positive relationship with Overall SBM Assessment (r = .826, p < .001), indicating association rather than causation. Based on the findings, a developmental plan was proposed to strengthen documented financial procedures, personnel-support systems, stakeholder engagement, instructional monitoring, resource management, and continuing SBM assessment.