Leading Curriculum Change: A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of School Heads Implementing the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsis.V1.I3.206Keywords:
Adaptive Leadership, Curriculum Implementation, Educational Change, Narrative Inquiry, Public School Heads, SPARC Curriculum Leadership Framework, Stakeholder Engagement, Strengthened Senior High School CurriculumAbstract
This study explored the experiences, challenges, and leadership responses of five public school heads implementing the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum in the Bicol Region, Philippines, and developed a preliminary contextualized leadership framework. Guided by Educational Change Theory and the Narrative Inquiry Framework, it employed qualitative narrative inquiry using purposive sampling. Data were collected through written narrative responses, clarification calls, field notes, and document reviews, then analyzed through narrative re-storying and thematic narrative analysis. Six themes emerged: meaning-making amid uncertainty, capacity-building under resource constraints, distributed and relational leadership, stakeholder engagement, contextual resourcefulness, and reflective leadership development. Participants reported teacher shortages, scheduling difficulties, instructional resource limitations, and stakeholder concerns, which they addressed through collaborative planning, mentoring, consultations, and community partnerships. Four school heads described critical experiences that shaped their leadership perspectives, whereas one reported relatively stable implementation. These findings informed the preliminary SPARC Curriculum Leadership Framework, comprising Sense-Making, People-Centered Capacity-Building, Alliance-Building, Resourceful Contextualization, and Continuous Resilience. The study recommends institutional support and further framework validation. It supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 and indirectly relates to Goal 8 by highlighting leadership conditions for educational continuity and workforce-oriented curriculum implementation. Its sustainability implications concern institutional adaptability, professional collaboration, and context-responsive curriculum leadership.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sheila Remendado Morada, Jovinet N. Pacardo, April Lyne A. Paje, Megan Louella Jo O. Palmes, Cain Shecka I. Navida (Author)
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