Competencies of school heads in building connections among elementary schools in Tiwi district

This study determined the competencies of the school heads in building connections among elementary schools in Tiwi District. It answered the following specific problems: 1.) What are competencies in building connections commonly performed by the school heads along management of diverse relationships, management of school organizations, inclusive practice, communication and community engagement? 2.) What is the level of competency of the school heads along the cited areas? 3.) Is there a significant difference on the level of competency as perceived by the school heads and the teachers in terms of the five (5) areas? 4.) What are the factors that affect the competency of school heads of Tiwi District in building connections? and 5.) What professional development activities may be proposed to address the factors that affect the competency of the school heads in building connections? The null hypothesis that there is no significant difference on the level of competency in terms of the five 95) areas as perceived by the school heads and the teachers was tested using F-test as 0.05 level of significance. This study employed the descriptive method of research following the survey-comparative design. There were eighty-nine (89) respondents; out from this number are twenty-three (23) school heads and sixty-six (66) randomly selected public elementary teachers. The salient findings of the study are: 1. Communication is the competency in building connections commonly performed by elementary school heads in Tiwi Albay with a frequency of twenty-one (21) out from twenty-three (23) schools heads or 91.30 % and fifty-seven (57) out of sixty-six (66) teachers or 86.36 %. This is followed by management of organizations with twenty (20) or 86.96 % school heads while fifty-two (52) or 78.79 % of the teachers. The competency with the lowest number of frequencies is inclusive practice with ten (10) or 43.48 % school heads and forty-nine (49) or 74.24 % teachers. On the level of competency of the school heads, the combined ratings showed that community engagement has the highest weighted average of 4.32; followed by management of organization with 4.29; communication (4.14.); management of diverse relationships with 4.06 and lastly, inclusive practice with 3.50. The level of competence of the schools in building connections along the five (5) areas has an overall average of 4.06 with an adjectival description of competent. The computed F value in management of diverse relationships is 0.64. Along management of school organizations, the computed F value arrived at 0.33. In inclusive practice, the computed F value is 11.20. Likewise, in communication, the computed F value is 0.7 and lastly, in community engagement, the computed F value is 2.67. The obtained total ranks of the internal factors are: information technology skills with 2nd and final rank of 1st; gender of school heads with a total rank of 4th and final rank of 2nd; the two internal factors have the same total rank of 7th thus both have a final rank of 3.5th and these are years in the service of school heads and their ages. Finally, family affiliation has a total rank of 1th and final rank of 5th. The obtained ranks of the external factors are as follows: socio-economic conditions of the community with a total rank of 2nd and final rank of 1st; engagement of education stakeholders with a total rank of 4th and final rank of 2nd; location of the school with a total rank of 6th and 3rd in final rank; support of teacher with 8th and final rank of 4th. Finally, the school culture has a total rank of 10th and final rank of 5th. The researcher proposed the following professional development activities: needs assessment of school heads along information technology conduct hands on training on Microsoft Office; as well as training on gender awareness, gender issues and stereotyping.