Influence of School Administrators' Leadership Styles on School Climate and Culture: A Basis for Continuous Improvement

School principals’ leadership styles are pivotal in shaping school climate and culture, which influence teacher collegiality, decision-making, and overall performance. While effective leadership fosters trust, communication, and collaboration, school culture—defined by shared values, customs, and assumptions—directly affects teaching and learning. This study examined the influence of school administrators’ leadership styles on school climate and culture as a basis for continuous improvement. A descriptive-correlational design was employed following Creswell (2018). The study was conducted in the Division of Ozamiz City with 30 school administrators and 533 teachers as respondents. Data were gathered using a structured survey questionnaire and analyzed through frequency count, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Spearman Rank-Order Correlation, and Kruskal-Wallis Test. Findings revealed that administrators demonstrated a very high extent of leadership styles (overall M = 3.67), with ethical leadership rated highest. School climate (M = 3.62) and school culture (M = 3.65) were also perceived at very high levels, highlighting positive decision-making processes and strong underlying assumptions. No significant relationships were found between leadership styles and either school climate (p = 0.50) or school culture (p = 0.312). However, significant differences in leadership styles were observed when grouped by educational attainment (p = 0.005) and length of service (p = 0.002). The study concludes that while administrators’ leadership styles strongly align with positive perceptions of climate and culture, other factors may also influence these areas. Continuous professional development, inclusive leadership practices, and stronger community engagement are recommended to sustain and further improve school environments.