Self‑Leadership and Teacher Competence in Northern Samar: Links to Job Satisfaction and Organisational Commitment
The article “Self‑leadership strategies and competence among non‑sectarian private secondary school teachers in Northern Samar” (International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 2025) offers a focused, empirically grounded exploration of how teachers’ self‑leadership relates to their professional competencies, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Drawing on data collected from all 95 teachers in eight non‑sectarian private secondary schools in Northern Samar, the study uses validated instruments (Revised Self‑Leadership Questionnaire, Performance Rating Sheet, Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Allen & Meyer’s Organizational Commitment Scale) and a descriptive‑correlational design to map relationships among key professional attributes.
A clear strength of the paper is its practical orientation: it links psychological constructs (behaviour‑focused, natural reward, and constructive thought pattern self‑leadership strategies) to observable teacher competencies (planning, teaching, management, guidance, evaluation) and workplace outcomes (job satisfaction, affective/continuance/normative commitment). The finding that teachers report high overall self‑leadership—especially constructive thought patterns—and strong personal/social competencies (integrity, good judgment) supports the view that intrinsic motivation and self‑regulation underpin effective classroom practice. The high levels of job satisfaction and affective commitment revealed in the sample suggest a resilient workforce with strong emotional attachment to their schools despite resource constraints commonly reported in private and rural contexts.
The study’s correlational results are informative for policy and school leadership. Constructive thought pattern strategies showed the strongest and most consistent associations with instructional competencies (planning, teaching, management and guidance), indicating that cognitive self‑management—how teachers frame tasks and approach problems—may be a particularly powerful lever for professional development. Natural reward and behaviour‑focused strategies correlated with specific personal and social competencies (punctuality, initiative, integrity) and with some aspects of job satisfaction (role clarity, compensation), implying that fostering intrinsic enjoyment and task structuring can improve everyday professional behaviours and morale.
Methodologically, the research is robust for its context: total enumeration of a defined population reduces sampling bias, and the use of established survey instruments supports construct validity. Nonetheless, some limitations inherent in the design should be noted. The cross‑sectional, self‑report approach constrains causal inference; relationships observed may reflect reciprocal influences (for example, satisfied teachers may be more likely to adopt constructive thought patterns) or unmeasured contextual factors (leadership style, community support, workload). The study is also limited to non‑sectarian private secondary schools in one province, so findings may not generalise to public, mission, or urban schools with different working conditions.
For practitioners and policymakers, the paper suggests several actionable steps. Schools would benefit from incorporating self‑leadership training into professional development programmes—particularly approaches that strengthen constructive thought patterns, problem framing and self‑regulation—to translate teacher motivation into improved instructional practice. Strengthening leadership quality (the study shows school head leadership scored lower on satisfaction) and ensuring fair compensation and clear role definitions can amplify the positive effects of self‑leadership on teaching competence. Embedding mentoring, reflective practice groups, and structured feedback cycles would help convert individual self‑leadership into sustained classroom improvement.
For future research and programme design, the study points to useful extensions: longitudinal or mixed‑methods designs to explore causality and process; intervention trials testing self‑leadership training effects on observable classroom outcomes and student learning; and comparative studies across public, private (sectarian and non‑sectarian) and geographically varied schools to examine contextual moderators. Adding objective performance measures (classroom observations, student achievement data) and capturing school‑level variables (leadership practices, class size, resource availability) would deepen understanding of how self‑leadership operates within broader organisational systems.
In sum, the paper provides a valuable, contextually grounded contribution to teacher development literature by empirically linking self‑leadership strategies to professional competence and workplace outcomes. Its findings encourage school leaders and education authorities to invest in cognitive and motivational aspects of teacher development, alongside structural supports such as competent school leadership and fair working conditions, to strengthen teaching effectiveness and sustain teacher commitment.
