"CHANGE NAMAN”: THE TALES OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Education

Change in schools is inevitable yet frequently met with resistance. School leaders are often tasked with balancing long-standing traditions and the need for innovation, where their capacity to shape organizational culture determines whether change leads to progress or tension. Effective change management requires more than enforcing compliance; it involves cultivating a culture that supports innovation while honoring core values. This study explored the lived experiences of school administrators in managing change using transcendental phenomenology. Conducted in the municipality of Tboli, South Cotabato, the study involved elementary and secondary public-school administrators and employed thematic analysis. Five emergent themes described administrators’ experiences navigating change: managing contextual challenges and transitions; promoting quality education and resourcefulness; empowering teachers and building capacity; collaborative, trust-based leadership; and managing resistance and facilitating change. Ten additional themes explained the context of these experiences, including foundations of leadership identity, leadership development and growth, impact on relationships, coping strategies, challenges in leading change, resource and administrative demands, emotional and bodily responses, commitment to institutional success, and sources of joy and fulfillment. Administrators’ future self-perceptions as change managers were reflected in three themes: becoming adaptive leaders, people-centered and empowered leaders, and goal and vision-oriented leaders. The study recommends strengthening adaptive and people-centered leadership practices, providing targeted capacity-building in change management, fostering teacher participation in reform initiatives, and pursuing future research on coping and relational strategies in resource-constrained, multicultural school environments.

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