THE INTERPLAY OF GRIT AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: IMPLICATIONS ON THE GRADE SCHOOL TEACHERS' TEACHING PERFORMANCE

Educational excellence depends heavily on teacher effectiveness, yet understanding what drives superior teaching performance remains a crucial challenge in educational management. This study investigated the influence of teachers' grit and organizational culture on teaching performance among ninety-four (94) grade school teachers in the West 1 district of Cagayan de Oro City. This research employed a descriptive-correlational design involving systematically sampled grade school teachers. The study used three instruments to collect data. The first instrument measured teachers' grit using a modified questionnaire based on Baraquia's (2020) framework. This questionnaire had two parts: eight items measuring perseverance in teaching and eight items assessing passion and purpose in teaching. For organizational culture, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to evaluate quality of professional intervention with nine items, and a section on communication within the organization with seven items based on the study of Sofia, Triana, & Pratama (2023).Finally, the measure used for teachers’ teaching performance was the teachers' Individual Performance Commitment and Review Form (IPCRF) ratings for 2024, which were obtained from the Department of Education Division of Cagayan de Oro official website to assess teaching performance. The researcher used descriptive statistical tool to describe the participants’ level of grit, organizational culture and teaching performance and canonical correlation to measure if the variables are significantly correlated. Results revealed that teachers exhibited generally very high levels of grit in both perseverance and passion and purpose dimensions. The organizational culture assessment showed generally high ratings in professional intervention, and communication. Teaching performance was rated very satisfactory in pedagogical content knowledge and personal growth/professional development. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that only perseverance and overall grit significantly influenced teaching performance, specifically in personal growth and professional development. These findings imply that while organizational culture creates a supportive environment, individual teacher characteristics, particularly grit, play a more direct role in professional success. Educational institutions may focus on developing teacher grit while maintaining supportive organizational structures to enhance teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.