CORE COMPONENTS AND KEY PROCESSES OF EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN BASIC EDUCATION

This study examined the core components and key processes of effective leadership in basic education. The study utilized a case-study method to look for the core components and key processes for effective educational leadership in basic education among the private schools in Carcar City Division, Cebu, Philippines, for the school year 2021-2022. A qualitative method that employed a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Key Informant interviews (KII) with Thematic Content Analysis was used. The findings revealed that the core components needed for effective educational leadership were contextualized leadership styles, affective qualities, and leadership competence. Likewise, the key processes needed to become effective education leaders were setting a clear vision, transforming vision to action, committing to realization, achieving quality outcomes, and sustaining quality for excellence. The perceived reasons for the need for effective leadership were the absence of clear vision, poor leadership competence, and lack of commitment. These core components and key processes likely serve as the foundations for building the atmosphere school leaders wanted to attain. With the demanding and challenging responsibility of school leaders around the globe, these core values and key processes of effective leadership in basic education should be put into practice. Thus, a school leader has to have a strong personality to perform his or her functions to achieve the desired goals in basic education.