Instructional Leadership and Operational Challenges in Multi-Grade Schools Across Aguinaldo District: Inputs for a District Management Framework

Effective instructional leadership is essential in multi-grade schools, where school heads must balance instructional responsibilities with operational demands. This study examined instructional leadership practices and operational challenges among school heads in Aguinaldo District, Schools Division of Ifugao, and developed a District Management Framework based on the findings. Employing a descriptive-correlational research design, the study involved 43 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using a panel-validated structured questionnaire administered through Google Forms and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and supplementary Spearman rank-order correlation. Results revealed that instructional leadership practices obtained a composite mean of 3.86, with teacher professional development recording the highest mean (3.98) and instructional resource management the lowest (3.73). Operational challenges likewise obtained a composite mean of 3.86, with resource availability emerging as the highest-rated challenge (3.92) and teacher deployment and workload the lowest (3.76). Pearson correlation revealed a statistically significant moderate positive relationship between instructional leadership practices and operational challenges (r = .514, p < .001), supported by Spearman correlation (ρ = .501, p < .001). These findings indicate that school heads reporting more frequent instructional leadership practices also tended to report greater operational challenges, without establishing causation. Consequently, a District Management Framework was developed to strengthen resource coordination, professional development, instructional support, workload management, stakeholder collaboration, and monitoring. The study recommends stakeholder consultation, coordinated district-level interventions, and periodic evaluation to support effective and sustainable multi-grade school management.