Exploring the Leadership of School Heads Assigned in Last Mile Schools: A Phenomenology

This phenomenological study aimed to explore and understand the leadership practices of school heads assigned in last mile schools. This study was rooted on the theory of Bush (2015) that articulated the concept of instructional leadership, also the theory of Bandura (2006) that reflects the significance of self-efficacy, and the theory of Groon (2002) that highlights the importance of distributive leadership. In collecting rich and diverse information, this study utilized purposive sampling technique that enable the ten (10) school heads assigned in last mile schools in Talaingod District, Division of Davao del Norte to share their lived experiences, coping mechanisms, and insights in leading and managing their respective schools. The identified school heads participated in-depth face to face interview upholding the safety health and protocols mandated by the IATF. Applying the thematic analysis, core ideas and major themes were extracted from the verbatim responses. As to the lived experiences of the school heads in last mile schools, five (5) themes were derived: establish community partnership, insufficiency of resources, cultivating leadership strategies, leadership opportunities, challenges to accessibility and safety going to the station . Meanwhile, on the coping mechanisms and strategies of the school heads in last mile schools, five (5) themes were generated: establish good communication among stakeholders, collaborated with stakeholders, giving rewards and recognition, managing the school effectively, and having safety procedures going to the station. Moreover, the school heads shared their insights and realizations which gave light to seven (7) themes such as: relevance of possessing positive attributes of a good school head, providing evidence of leadership, necessity of assistance from colleagues, importance of effective mechanism in leading schools, prioritizing access on resources, extending help and service to the community, and concentrating on student literacy. The results are deemed valuable and significant to the school heads, teachers, DepEd officials, and other researchers. The lived experiences and stories of the school heads were the primary the source of the derived transcriptions and emerged themes. Based on the results of the study, the school heads showed their commitment and dedication in performing their duties and responsibilities as leaders in last mile schools. They shared their unwavering sacrifice and love for the disadvantaged learners to have access to quality education. With the continuous assistance of the Department of Education, the government, the LGUs, NGOs, and other internal and external stakeholders, it is my great hope that the experiences of the participants will be heard and addressed. Keywords: leadership, school heads, last mile schools, qualitative, phenomenological, Talaingod District, Davao del Norte