Sustainability-Oriented School Leadership, Environmental Management Practices, and Climate Resilience Among School Heads in Sapa-Sapa I District, Tawi-Tawi: Basis for a Sustainable School Governance Framework

This study examined sustainability-oriented school leadership, environmental management practices, and climate resilience among selected school heads in Sapa-Sapa I District, Tawi-Tawi, as a basis for developing a Sustainable School Governance Framework. Anchored in the Whole-Institution Approach to Education for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Educational Leadership, and Organizational Climate Resilience, the study employed a descriptive-correlational design using a structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Kendall's tau-b correlation were applied to 12 school-head response profiles. The illustrative results indicated High levels of sustainability-oriented leadership (M = 3.55) and environmental management practices (M = 3.43), while climate resilience was rated Moderate (M = 3.33). Limited financial resources (66.67%), insufficient training (58.33%), inadequate infrastructure (50.00%), and limited technological support (41.67%) emerged as major challenges. A significant positive relationship was observed between leadership and environmental management (τ = 0.467, p = 0.048), while relationships involving climate resilience were not statistically significant. A preliminary Sustainable School Governance Framework was proposed, emphasizing strategic leadership, environmental resource management, disaster preparedness, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement. The study recommends strengthening institutional monitoring, resource conservation, capacity-building initiatives, and learning continuity mechanisms, subject to validation using actual survey data. The study aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Its potential sustainability impact involves strengthening environmental responsibility, institutional resilience, collaborative governance, and climate-responsive educational management in island-based school communities.