Navigating Educational Leadership: Examining School Heads’ Professional Standard Practices and Their Impact on Teacher Satisfaction

This study investigated the professional standard practices of school heads as predictors of teachers’ satisfaction in public elementary schools in the Division of Agusan del Sur. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving 196 school heads and 356 teachers surveyed, alongside interviews with ten (10) purposively selected teachers. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical tools, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings revealed that school heads demonstrated a very high level of professional standard practices across five domains: leading strategically, managing school operations and resources, focusing on teaching and learning, developing self and others, and building connections. Additionally, teachers reported high satisfaction levels concerning their working environment, workload distribution, teacher-student relationships, peer relationships, personal and professional growth, salary and promotion, well-being, and external support systems. A multiple linear regression analysis identified leading strategically, managing school operations and resources, and developing self and others as significant predictors of teachers’ overall satisfaction. Moreover, qualitative data highlighted five core themes influencing teacher satisfaction: (1) working environment and organizational culture, (2) distribution of responsibilities and workload, (3) teacher-student relationship, (4) personal and professional growth, and (5) well-being and recognition. Based on these findings, an intervention program was proposed to foster a positive work environment, enhance teacher-student relationships, promote professional growth, ensure justifiable workload distribution, and provide access to mental well-being resources. The study concludes that strong leadership practices contribute significantly to teacher satisfaction, which in turn enhances school performance. It recommends that the Department of Education integrate these insights into policy and planning, school heads refine leadership strategies, and future researchers explore broader contexts to further understand teacher satisfaction determinants.