Abstract
This study aimed to find out the level of school heads’ management skills and its relationship to their level of conflict resolution in selected public secondary schools in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela (CAMANAVA District), National Capital Region.
This study used a descriptive-correlational research design with quantitative design to use in data gathering and analysis methods. The respondents were 18 school heads; 154 head teachers/ master teachers and 228 teachers from Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela. The researcher used a modified questionnaire was utilized to investigate the necessary data with school heads’ management skills and conflict- resolution techniques.
The findings revealed that on managerial skills and conflict resolution techniques, school heads, head teachers/master teachers, and teachers all judged their own levels of proficiency to be significantly different, according to the research. Although the value of conflict-resolution techniques was widely acknowledged, there were differences in the self-assessed degrees of expertise. Heads of schools showed a proactive approach to conflict resolution by demonstrating a solid consensus regarding their capacity for accommodation and compromise. The results also highlighted the necessity of focused training programs to address areas that have been identified for development, stressing the value of ongoing coaching and mentoring programs for improving conflict resolution and management abilities in learning environments.
Also, based on the findings of the study, Management Skills and Conflict Resolution Techniques Framework for School Heads was designed to provide a structured approach for school leaders to effectively manage conflicts and promote a harmonious school environment. Also, the said framework would enhance leadership capabilities, communication skills, and conflict resolution strategies among school heads, enabling them to address conflicts promptly and constructively.
Introduction
In this ever-changing educational landscape, school leaders, commonly known as school heads, are the backbone of educational institutions. Their multifaceted role goes beyond administrative functions; They are entrusted with profound responsibility for cultivating a conducive learning environment, mediating conflict, and effectively managing school resources. Many school heads have found themselves in difficult positions and doing many responsibilities. They are expected to not only drive curricular changes, but also to be decisive change managers. School heads, as curriculum and management leaders, must provide advice to teachers as they deal with continual educational changes. As change leaders, school heads must guide their people in reducing fear and resistance to change.
The success of educational institutions is largely dependent on the leadership of school heads, who act as the catalysts for both student progress and organizational effectiveness. Maintaining a pleasant school atmosphere through effective conflict management and the use of suitable conflict resolution procedures is one of the major responsibilities of school administrators (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2016). In the last years, there has been a growing body of study examining the connection between school heads' conflict resolution abilities and their management abilities (Elmore, 2017).
Statement of the Problem
School heads are important leaders who manage daily operations, shape school culture, and support student achievement. They play a critical role in the efficient administration of educational institutions. The ability to resolve disagreements amicably and use suitable conflict resolution strategies to handle stakeholder issues, organizational difficulties, and interpersonal conflicts is essential to the job of school heads. As a result, in the field of educational leadership, school heads' management skills and conflict-resolution techniques have become crucial areas of emphasis.
In this regard, this study aimed to find out the level of school heads’ management skills and its relationship to their level of conflict resolution in selected public secondary schools in CAMANAVA District, National Capital Region.
Specifically, it sought to find answers to the following research questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the school heads in terms of the following variables:
1.1. Highest educational qualifications
1.2. Current position
1.3. Length of service
1.4. Relevant trainings and seminars attended
1.5. Scholarship, awards/ recognition received
2. What is the level of management skills of the School Heads as assessed by the School Heads, Head Teachers/ Master Teachers, and teachers in terms of the following:
2.1. Conceptual;
2.2. Technical; and
2.3. Human Skills?
3. Is there a significant difference in the assessment of the three groups of respondents on the level of the school head’s management skills?
4. Is there a significant relationship between the management skills of the school heads and their demographic profile?
5. What is the level of conflict-resolution of school heads as assessed by the school heads, head teachers/ master teachers, and teachers in terms of the following:
5.1. competition;
5.2. collaboration;
5.3. compromise;
5.4. avoidance; and
5.5. accommodation?
6. Is there a significant difference in the assessment of the three groups of respondents on the level of conflict-resolution of the School Heads?
7. Is there a significant relationship between the conflict-resolution and the demographic profile of the respondents?
8. Is there a significant relationship between the management skills and conflict- resolution of the School Heads?
9. What Conflict- Resolution Framework may be proposed for the respondents?
Summary of the findings
This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the management skills and conflict- resolution techniques of the school heads as assessed by school heads-respondents themselves, head teachers/ master teachers, and teachers.
It also aimed to compare the responses of school heads, head teachers/ master teachers and teachers, as well as test the relationship of each variable to each other.
The following findings were obtained from the results of the survey:
Demographic profile of the school heads
1.1. Highest educational qualifications
The majority of respondents held either a Master's or a Doctorate degree, according to data on the demographic profile of school leaders about their greatest level of education. In particular, 44% of school administrators hold a master's degree, and 56% hold a doctorate. Interestingly, the sample had no responders who possess a bachelor's degree or any other required qualification.
1.2. Current position
All 18 or 100% of the respondents to the data on the demographic profile of school heads regarding their current position held the position of School Head IV.
1.3. Length of service
Of the sample, 28% of school heads had been in their current roles for 16–20 years. This implied that a sizable percentage of the responders have a high level of experience. Furthermore, it was noteworthy that school heads with over 20 years of experience made up 22% of the sample.
On the other hand, the proportions of school administrators with less than five years of service (11%) and those with eleven to fifteen years of service (17%) were significantly smaller.
1.4. Relevant trainings and seminars attended
The aforementioned data suggested that a noteworthy segment of school heads, accounting for 61% of the sample, had participated in over ten pertinent trainings or seminars this academic year.
Furthermore, 11% had attended four to six meetings, to convey and 28% had attended seven to nine trainings. Interestingly, during the designated period, not a single school head in the sample reported attending zero to three trainings or seminars.
1.5. Scholarship, awards/ recognition received
According to the results, a sizable majority of school heads—representing 72% of the sample—had been recognized or awarded more than ten times for their management abilities and conflict-resolution strategies throughout the course of the current academic year.
Furthermore, 22% reported getting seven to nine of these honors, compared to only one school head's (6%) four to six scholarships, awards, or recognitions.
Level of management skills of the School Heads as assessed by the School Heads, Head Teachers/ Master Teachers, and teachers in terms of the following:
2.1. Conceptual
The results indicated a high awareness of having the necessary conceptual skills, with a constant trend of significant agreement across all groups.
Head teachers/master teachers had the highest mean score of 3.91 when looking at the mean scores. They were closely followed by school heads with a mean score of 3.81 and teachers with a mean score of 3.78.
2.2. Technical
This unanimity among the teachers, head teachers/master teachers, and school principals’ responses believed they had strong technical skills. This agreement was further supported by the mean scores, which showed that master teachers and head teachers had the highest mean score of 3.90, closely followed by school leaders with 3.82 and teachers with 3.68.
Notwithstanding small differences, the general pattern demonstrated a shared understanding of the value of technical expertise in running educational establishments.
2.3. Human Skills
This agreement was further supported by the mean scores, which show that master teachers and head teachers had the highest mean score of 3.86, closely followed by school leaders at 3.82 and teachers at 3.69.
Although there were small differences, the general pattern demonstrated a shared understanding of the value of human abilities in running educational establishments.
The significant difference in the assessment of the three groups of respondents on the level of the school head’s management skills
The critical F-value at the.05 level and the mean evaluation score for each skill category for each group were compared. The F-value for conceptual skills was 3.575, which was below the crucial F-value of 3.682, suggesting that there was no significant difference between the groups. For conceptual skills, the null hypothesis was thus accepted.
In conclusion, there were no significant differences found in the assessments of conceptual or human skills, but there was a significant variation in the technical skills across the three groups.
The significant relationship between the management skills of the school heads and the demographic profile of the respondents
The null hypothesis was rejected for every variable, showing that there was, in fact, a strong correlation between respondents' demographic profiles and the managerial abilities of school heads. This showed that a school head's management skills are greatly influenced by a number of things, including their educational background, their current position, the length of their employment, and the training and seminars they attend.
The level of conflict-resolution techniques of school heads as assessed by the School Heads, Head Teachers/ Master Teachers, and teachers in terms of the following:
5.1. Competition;
Across all parameters, the mean ratings for each group were relatively high, indicating widespread agreement on the usefulness of competition in resolving problems within the school community. In particular, the mean scores for Head Teachers/Master Teachers, School Heads, and Teachers were 3.68, 3.83, and 3.82 for indicator 1.
Similarly, indications 2 through 5 had consistent high mean scores across all three groups. With a mean score of 3.83 for competition in conflict resolution overall, the respondents were clearly in agreement. According to the data, competition was highly observed.
5.2. Collaboration;
There was substantial agreement for indicator 1, as seen by the mean scores of 3.97 for school heads, 3.83 for head teachers/master teachers, and 3.76 for teachers.
While in indicators 2 through 5 similarly revealed high mean scores that were consistently observed throughout the three groups; the overall mean score for collaboration in conflict resolution was 3.81. According to these findings, collaboration was viewed as a useful tactic by school heads, head teachers/master teachers, and teachers in resolving conflicts within the school community.
5.3. Compromise;
A high degree of agreement was indicated by the mean scores for indicator 1—3.92 for school heads, 3.83 for head teachers/master teachers, and 3.77 for teachers.
In addition, indicators 2 through 5 also consistently displayed high mean scores across the three groups; the overall mean score for conflict resolution compromise was 3.82. These results implied that compromise was viewed as a useful tactic by school heads, head teachers/master teachers, and teachers in resolving conflicts within the school community.
5.4. Avoidance; and
Regarding avoidance's efficacy in settling disagreements, the mean scores for each group show a significant disagreement across all variables. The mean scores for indicator 1 showed a substantial disagreement: 1.41 for teachers, 1.61 for head teachers/master teachers, and 1.51 for school heads. The three groups' consistent, strong disagreement was also evident in indications 2 through 5, with a total mean score of 1.67 for avoidance in conflict resolution.
The results of this study indicated that school heads, head teachers/master teachers, and teachers believed that avoiding problems within the school community was a futile tactic. This emphasized the significance of confronting conflicts front-on instead of avoiding them.
5.5. Accommodation
The average results for every category showed a high degree of agreement on the usefulness of accommodations in settling disputes across the board. The mean scores for indicator 1 showed high agreement: 3.91 for school heads, 4.0 for head teachers/master teachers, and 3.77 for teachers.
Similarly, the three groups consistently demonstrated excellent agreement on indicators 2 through 5, with a total mean score of 3.84 for accommodation in dispute resolution. These results implied that school heads, head teachers/master teachers, and teachers viewed accommodation as a useful tactic for resolving disputes within the school community, highlighting the significance of adaptability and a readiness to make concessions in order to reach a consensus.
The significant difference in the assessment of the three groups of respondents on the level of conflict-resolution techniques of the School Heads
There was a substantial difference between the three groups' assessments of the compromise conflict-resolution strategy, as shown by a computed F-value of 5.572, which was higher than the critical value of 3.885. The null hypothesis about compromise was thus rejected, indicating that the three groups' assessments of School Heads' ability to compromise differ significantly.
In contrast, the computed F-values for the indicators of rivalry, collaboration, avoidance, and accommodation did not surpass the critical threshold, suggesting that there was no discernible variation in the three groups of respondents' assessments of these conflict-resolution strategies.
As a result, the groups appeared to view School Heads' proficiency in these areas equally, as suggested by the acceptance of the null hypotheses for these indicators.
The significant relationship between the conflict-resolution techniques and the demographic profile of the respondents?
The calculated chi-square values for every variable showed a substantial correlation between respondents' demographic profiles and conflict-resolution strategies at a significance level of.05, exceeding the threshold chi-square value.
As a result, all variables' null hypotheses were rejected, indicating a significant correlation between the respondents' demographics and the conflict-resolution strategies used by school heads.
The significant relationship between the management skills and conflict- resolution technique of the School Heads?
The data examined the strong association between School Heads' management skills and conflict resolution approaches. There appeared to be a considerable correlation between these variables, as indicated by the Person correlation coefficient (r) of 0.7532 and a p-value of 0.399.
As a result, the null hypothesis was disproved, showing that there was, in fact, a significant correlation between school heads' conflict-resolution strategies and their managerial abilities. The significance of proficient management abilities in enabling suitable conflict resolution in academic establishments was highlighted by this discovery.
9. What Conflict- Resolution Framework may be proposed for the respondents?
A proposed Conflict- Resolution Framework had been created to enhance the school heads’ competency in dealing with different kinds of conflict in the workplace. By providing a comprehensive framework, it can serve as guide to better conflict- resolution techniques that suit to a specific concern and issue.
Conclusion
1. In terms of the demographic profile of school heads, it reflected a highly educated group, with the majority holding either a Master's or a Doctorate degree, indicating a strong academic background.
Additionally, all respondents held the position of School Head IV, suggesting uniformity in leadership roles among the sample. Furthermore, the data highlighted a significant level of experience among school administrators, with a considerable proportion having served for 16–20 years or more, indicating a wealth of expertise in school leadership.
Moreover, the high participation in relevant trainings and seminars, along with the numerous recognitions received for management and conflict-resolution skills, underscored the commitment of school heads to continuous professional development and excellence in their roles.
2. In terms of the assessment of the level of management skills among school heads, head teachers/master teachers, and teachers revealed a very high level of conceptual skills, technical skills and human skills with significant agreement across all groups.
3. There were no significant differences found in the assessments of conceptual or human skills, but there was a significant variation in the technical skills across the three groups.
The null hypothesis was rejected for every variable, showing that there was, in fact, a strong correlation between respondents' demographic profiles and the managerial abilities of school heads.
School heads showed a strong consensus regarding their ability to accommodate and compromise, showing a proactive approach to dispute resolution. A face-to-face technique was still considered as a best practice to immediately confront the issue and give appropriate solution about it.
6. The groups appeared to view school heads' proficiency in these areas equally, as suggested by the acceptance of the null hypotheses for the conflict resolution particularly in collaboration, competition, avoidance, and accommodation.
7. The was a significant relationship between the Conflict- Resolution Technique of the school heads to the demographic profile of the respondents.
8. The relationship between the management skills of the school heads and the demographic profile was found to be significant.
A conflict- resolution framework was used as a basis for a more improved conflict- resolution techniques to address issues and concerns in the workplace.
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17377396
