Exploring the Professional Development Needs of Principals and Head Teachers: Basis for an Extension Program

Abstract

The success of schools in the modern period necessitates ever-increasing efforts from their leaders. Professional growth is vital for allowing people to operate in various situations and cope with conflicting, complicated, and unprecedented difficulties and concerns. The current study investigates principals' professional growth and its link to their responsibilities and the issues they confront.  This quantitative research described the profile of the respondents, marked the professional development needs of school heads based on the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH); and determined if there is a significant difference in the professional needs of the respondents when grouped according to profile. The study observed the professional growth of school heads, focusing on their responsibilities and the issues they face. The research revealed that 75% of school heads are female, 25% are male, and 45% are aged 49-56. The proficiency levels of respondents were high in Domain 4, Developing Self and Others, Domain 3, Teaching and Learning, and Domain 5, Building Connections. Domain 2, Managing School Operations and Resources, and Domain 1, Leading Strategically, also showed high proficiency. There were no significant differences in professional development needs among school heads based on sex, age group, or position. The mean scores across all domains were similar across all age groups, suggesting that the professional development needs of school heads are consistent regardless of age. Both married and single school heads share similar professional development requirements across all domains. In Leading Strategically, married respondents scored 4.01, while single respondents scored 4.04, indicating no significant difference based on civil status. In Managing School Operations and Resources, married respondents scored 4.09 compared to single respondents, while in Focusing on Teaching and Learning, married respondents scored 4.08 and single respondents scored 4.20. There were no significant differences in professional development needs by position (Head Teacher vs. Principal), suggesting that professional needs do not vary significantly according to their position. This supports the idea of developing professional development programs that cater to both Head Teachers and Principals collectively.