Leading from the Margins: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences and Innovative Practices of School Leaders in North 1 District Division of Gingoog City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsis.V1.I3.223Keywords:
Adaptive Leadership, Community Engagement, Distributed Leadership, Educational Sustainability, Innovative Practices, School Leadership, Transcendental PhenomenologyAbstract
This study explored the lived experiences, challenges, coping mechanisms, and innovative leadership practices of school leaders assigned to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in North 1 District, Division of Gingoog City, Philippines. Guided by transcendental phenomenology and informed by adaptive and distributed leadership perspectives, the study employed a qualitative research design involving five purposively selected school leaders from three public elementary schools and two public secondary schools. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews using a validated semi-structured interview guide and analyzed through bracketing, horizontalization, coding, thematic clustering, and synthesis of textural and structural descriptions. Three major themes emerged: emotional and professional growth through adversity, scarcity of resources and financial improvisation, and innovative leadership practices through collaboration and shared governance. The findings revealed that school leaders experienced geographical isolation, emotional distress, transportation difficulties, inadequate funding, limited infrastructure, and instructional challenges. Despite these constraints, they demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness through personal financial sacrifices, external resource mobilization, community partnerships, school-based income-generating initiatives, and collaborative decision-making. The study concluded that leadership in geographically disadvantaged schools extends beyond conventional administration and requires sustained commitment, stakeholder empowerment, and context-responsive innovation. Strengthening leadership development, mentoring, psychosocial support, and community collaboration was recommended to address the challenges encountered by school leaders. The study aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by addressing educational disparities and emphasizing collaborative institutional support. Its sustainability contribution lies in informing educational governance, institutional resilience, community participation, and context-responsive policies that may help sustain equitable educational services in marginalized communities.
References
Alhazmi, A. A., & Kaufmann, A. (2022). Phenomenological qualitative methods applied to the analysis of cross-cultural experience in novel educational social contexts. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 785134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.785134 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.785134
Berkovich, I., & Hassan, T. (2024). Principals’ digital instructional leadership during the pandemic: Impact on teachers’ intrinsic motivation and students’ learning. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(4), 934–954. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221113411 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221113411
Dare, P. S., & Saleem, A. (2022). Principal leadership role in response to the pandemic impact on school process. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 943442. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.943442 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.943442
Department of Education. (2024a). Amendment to DepEd Order No. 010, s. 2024 (Policy guidelines on the implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum) (DepEd Order No. 012, s. 2024). https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/DO_s2024_012.pdf
Department of Education. (2024b). Policy guidelines on the implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum (DepEd Order No. 010, s. 2024). https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/DO_s2024_010.pdf
Department of Education. (2024c). Policy guidelines on the implementation of the revised School-Based Management (SBM) System (DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2024). https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/DO_s2024_007.pdf
Dugasan, N. J., Castulo, N. J., Hadji, A. A., Sahijuan, A.-S., Ugis, P. S., Jemsy, S. U.-A., Hajad, S., Reyes, R. B., Sangkula, Z., Mohammad, K., Akmad, R. A., Abbani, R. S., Tambihasan, A. M., Sabdul, A. Y., & Sali-Ondo, D. K. (2026). Leadership beyond access: Adaptive management and peacebuilding in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines. Frontiers in Education, 11, Article 1726255. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1726255 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1726255
Famero, A. M. (2024). Emergence of an adaptive leadership model from the collective practices of public secondary school principals during COVID-19 education crisis. Romblon State University Research Journal, 6(1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.58780/rsurj.v6i1.171 DOI: https://doi.org/10.58780/rsurj.v6i1.171
Gningue, S. M., Peach, R., Jarrah, A. M., & Wardat, Y. (2022). The relationship between teacher leadership and school climate: Findings from a teacher-leadership project. Education Sciences, 12(11), Article 749. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110749 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110749
Harris, A., Jones, M., & Ismail, N. (2022). Distributed leadership: Taking a retrospective and contemporary view of the evidence base. School Leadership & Management, 42(5), 438–456. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2022.2109620 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2022.2109620
Lai, H.-C., & Lien, H.-Y. (2025). Instructional leadership scale for high school principals: Development and validation. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 53(3), 484–498. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231177531 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231177531
Losa, A. G., & Ederio, N. T. (2025). Navigating struggle and support: The lived experiences of clustered multigrade school heads in managing instructional and leadership tasks. International Journal of Educational Contemporary Explorations, 2(2), 45–52. https://ijece.virtualrealia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Navigating-Struggle-and-Support-The-Lived-Experiences-of-Clustered-Multigrade-School-Heads-in-Managing-Instructional-and-Leadership-Tasks.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.69481/NSSTLEC
Meyer, A., Hartung-Beck, V., Gronostaj, A., Krüger, S., & Richter, D. (2023). How can principal leadership practices promote teacher collaboration and organizational change? A longitudinal multiple case study of three school improvement initiatives. Journal of Educational Change, 24, 425–455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09451-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09451-9
Ninković, S., Knežević Florić, O., & Momčilović, M. (2023). Multilevel analysis of the effects of principal support and innovative school climate on the integration of technology in learning activities. Computers & Education, 202, Article 104833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104833 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104833
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). PISA 2022 results (Volume I and II): Country notes—Philippines. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2022-results-volume-i-and-ii-country-notes_ed6fbcc5-en/philippines_a0882a2d-en.html
Steinberg, M. P., & Yang, H. (2022). Does principal professional development improve schooling outcomes? Evidence from Pennsylvania’s Inspired Leadership Induction Program. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 15(4), 799–847. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2022.2052386 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2022.2052386
Toprak, M., Karakus, M., & Chen, J. (2023). Transformational school leadership: A systematic review of research in a centralized education system. Journal of Educational Administration, 61(5), 514–530. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-10-2022-0185 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-10-2022-0185
UNESCO. (2024). Global education monitoring report 2024/5: Leadership in education—Lead for learning. https://doi.org/10.54676/EFLH5184 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54676/EFLH5184
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Carol Jho J. Valdez (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License. This license permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, including for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the journal, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
