Leadership Styles of School Heads and Teachers’ Engagement of Selected Elementary School Teachers

This study investigates the significant impact of school principals' leadership styles on the engagement levels of elementary school teachers within the Isabela City Division, focusing on three distinct styles: Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-Faire. The research captures teachers' perceptions of their principals' approaches and assesses the effects on various dimensions of teacher engagement, including cognitive, emotional, and social interactions. Utilizing a descriptive-quantitative research design, data was collected from 264 teachers across four districts through stratified random sampling. The findings reveal a neutral perception of Authoritarian Leadership (mean score: 3.44) and Laissez-Faire Leadership (mean score: 3.44), while Democratic Leadership received strong support (mean score: 4.28). Engagement metrics indicate high cognitive engagement (mean score: 4.02), strong emotional engagement (mean score: 4.40), and robust social engagement with students (mean score: 4.54) and colleagues (mean score: 4.38), leading to an overall positive engagement rating (mean score: 4.34). Statistical analysis using Pearson correlation demonstrates a strong positive relationship (r = 0.472, p < 0.01) between leadership styles and teacher engagement, suggesting that effective leadership can significantly enhance engagement levels among teachers. These results underscore the importance of adopting favorable leadership styles to cultivate an engaging educational environment.