Level of Practices of Administrative Values of Public School Heads of Selected Secondary Schools in the First Congressional District of Northern Samar: Basis for Designing a Practical Guide for Secondary School Administration

Abstract

This study focused on the level of practices of Administrative values of public school heads of selected secondary school in the first congressional district of Northern Samar, focusing on five core dimensions: accountability, transparency, adherence to the code of ethics, professionalism, and leadership. It further examined the influence of two major domains-organizational culture and socio-cultural factors- on the administrative values practice by school heads. Using a qualitative and descriptive-correlational research design, data were collected through validated survey questionnaires from 32 school heads- the main respondents, as well as teacher subordinates and school board members- the secondary respondents. The findings revealed that public school head consistently demonstrated a high level administrative values, particularly professionalism and ethical conduct. However, several organizational challenges were identified, including poor time management, inadequate leadership initiative, personally-related issues, and occasional lapses in staff discipline and compliance. These internal challenges often hindered the full implementation of administrative values. Notably, time management emerged as the most significant issues affecting accountability, while personally problems were not critical in terms of professionalism. The major finding of the study is the statistically significant relationship between organizational culture and the level of administrative values (R2=0.469, p = 0.004), as well as between socio-cultural factors and administrative values (R2= 0.565, p=0.000). Although no single component- such as managing change or community engagement- stood out as an independent predictor, the collective influence of all elements within each domain significantly shaped the behavior, decision- making, and ethical leadership of school heads. These results underscore the importance of viewing school administration not merely as a technical function but as dynamic interplay between internal culture and external social realities. To respond to these insights, the study proposes the design of a practical guide for secondary school administration, grounded in the in the realities and challenges revealed by the data.