COLLABORATIVE SYNERGY: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN SHARED LEADERSHIP

Educational Management

public schools in Davao de Oro. Anchored in a phenomenological approach, the study seeks to understand how school leaders collaboratively engage teachers and stakeholders in decision-making processes, school governance, and instructional leadership. Through in-depth interviews with selected school principals from diverse school contexts, the research captures their challenges, adaptive strategies, and coping mechanisms in fostering a culture of collaboration and collective responsibility. The findings reveal that shared leadership is not merely a structural practice but a dynamic and evolving process shaped by trust, communication, and mutual accountability. School principals assume multifaceted roles as facilitators, motivators, and coordinators, navigating institutional demands while empowering teachers to take active leadership roles. The study further highlights how collaborative synergy strengthens organizational commitment, enhances school performance, and promotes inclusive participation in achieving educational goals. Despite challenges such as resistance to change, limited resources, and varying levels of teacher readiness, principals demonstrate resilience by employing context-responsive strategies that sustain shared leadership practices. Ultimately, the study presents shared leadership as a transformative leadership approach that redefines traditional school management into a participatory and empowering system. The insights generated aim to contribute to the development of responsive leadership frameworks and capacity-building programs that support school principals in cultivating collaborative and sustainable leadership practices in diverse educational settings.

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