2025 IJRSE – Volume 14 Issue 15
Available Online: 16 October 2025
Author/s:
Lamsis, James O.*
Nueva Vizcaya State University, Philippines (james.lamsis001@deped.gov.ph)
Vadil, Carlo F.
Nueva Vizcaya State University, Philippines (drvadil888@yahoo.com)
Abstract:
This study investigated the ethical leadership behavior of school administrators in Aritao West District, as perceived by public elementary school teachers during the academic year 2024–2025, and examined its relationship to classroom management approaches. The research focused on six dimensions of ethical leadership: fairness, accountability, trust, honesty, equality, and respect. Teachers’ classroom management was also assessed, distinguishing between proactive and reactive approaches. A total of 94 teachers participated, selected through stratified sampling based on Slovin’s Formula. Data were collected using validated research instruments and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Findings indicated that school administrators demonstrated a “very good” level of ethical leadership (M = 3.84), with “trust” rated highest. Teachers also reported a “very good” level of classroom management (M = 3.71), with proactive strategies rated more favorably than reactive ones. A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between ethical leadership and classroom management (r = .566, p < .001), with “accountability” (r = .631) and “honesty” (r = .622) showing the strongest associations. These results underscore the influence of ethical leadership on classroom effectiveness. Based on the findings, two training designs were developed: one to strengthen ethical leadership among school administrators and another to enhance classroom management approaches among teachers. The study concludes that ethical leadership significantly contributes to effective classroom management and recommends continuous capacity-building efforts, collaborative planning, and further research to explore related variables such as teacher motivation, school climate, and student discipline.
Keywords: classroom management, ethical leadership, proactive strategies, reactive strategies, school administrators, teacher perception
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2025.25286
Cite this article:
Lamsis, J. O., & Vadil, C. F. (2025). School administrators’ ethical leadership behavior as determinant of teachers’ classroom management approaches. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 14(15), 263-279. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2025.25286
* Corresponding Author