Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Leadership Practices of School Heads: Their Influence on Teacher Commitment and School Climate
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsair.V2.I2.312Keywords:
Accountability, Ethical Leadership, School Climate, Teacher Commitment, TransparencyAbstract
This study examined the relationship between leadership practices—transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership—of school heads in the Division of Bohol and their influence on teachers’ commitment and school climate during the School Year 2025–2026. Anchored on Ethical Leadership Theory (Brown and Treviño, 2006), Meyer and Allen’s (1997) organizational commitment model, and Pekrun’s (2006) Control-Value Theory, the study employed a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design. Data were collected from 353 elementary school teachers using structured survey instruments measuring leadership practices, teacher commitment, and school climate. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. Findings revealed that transparency was the most positively perceived leadership practice and showed strong positive relationships with teacher commitment and moderate positive relationships with school climate. Accountability, however, demonstrated negative relationships with both teacher commitment and school climate, suggesting issues in its implementation. Ethical leadership showed a positive relationship with teacher commitment but a negative relationship with school climate. Teacher commitment emerged as the strongest predictor of leadership practices, while school climate negatively predicted transparency and accountability. Differences in perceptions of transparency were observed across age and length of service, while accountability and ethical leadership were consistently perceived across demographic groups. The study concludes that leadership practices significantly shape teacher attitudes and organizational conditions, with transparency playing a critical role in fostering positive outcomes. It recommends strengthening leadership development, improving accountability approaches, and enhancing teacher commitment. This study supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by promoting effective educational leadership and governance. It contributes to institutional and socio-educational sustainability by improving leadership practices, strengthening teacher commitment, and fostering a supportive school climate.
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