School heads’ leadership styles in relation to the teachers’ performance in San Jose West District elementary schools

2026 IJRSE – Volume 15 Issue 10
Divine Word College of San Jose Special Issue

Available Online:  29 April 2026

Author/s:

Topado, Ruth P.*
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (topadoruth15@gmail.com)

Rayton, Maria Pura C.
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (maria.pura.crayton@gmail.com)

Galay-Limos, Jenny A.
Divine Word College of San Jose, Philippines (jennygalay05@gmail.com)

Abstract:

The study was conducted in the elementary schools of the San Jose West District, Occidental Mindoro. It examined the level of leadership styles—authoritarian, bureaucratic, democratic, instructional, servant, and transformational—and teachers’ performance in terms of work motivation, work discipline, and interpersonal communication. It also determined the relationship between leadership styles and teachers’ performance and proposed a development plan to improve teaching performance. An exploratory sequential design was used with 139 elementary school teachers from 23 schools as respondents. Data were gathered through a validated survey questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using thematic analysis, weighted mean, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through WarpPLS 7.0. The study found that school heads in San Jose West District demonstrate multiple leadership styles, with democratic, instructional, servant, and transformational leadership rated very high, and servant leadership receiving the highest rating. Teachers’ performance was also very high, particularly in interpersonal communication. Out of 18 tested relationships, 15 were statistically significant, indicating that leadership styles, especially transformational leadership, positively influence teachers’ motivation, discipline, and communication. The study concluded that effective leadership played a key role in improving teacher performance and recommended strengthening leadership practices and continuous professional development.

Keywords: leadership styles, teachers’ performance, school heads, servant leadership, development plan

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26708

Cite this article:
Topado, R. P., Rayton, M. P. C., & Galay-Limos, J. A. (2026). School heads’ leadership styles in relation to the teachers’ performance in San Jose West District elementary schools. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 15(10), 113-132. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2026.26708

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