Educational Leadership of Teachers and its Effect to Innovative English Teaching Strategies in

Public Secondary Students

Literature Review
Leadership topics are among the topics that have attracted the attention of scholars and
researchers, which at the present time requires conscious leadership capable of achieving the
requirements of the modern era, and able to face future challenges from radical transformations
in various aspects of life and capable of continuity and sustainability (Eid, 2015). Leadership is
considered one of the administrative processes, it is one of the most influential on individuals’
motivation to perform, their behaviors, attitudes, loyalty, and work satisfaction. It is the
foundation of the organization and the essence of the administrative process, through its
formulation of the organization’s vision, mission and future goals, raising the efficiency of human
and material resources, and consolidating values (Al-Hijn, 2017).
Leadership has an important role in achieving balance and sustainability and has
become more urgent to face environmental, social and economic challenges, which are difficult
to achieve sustainability due to restrictive rules and procedures, short-term perspective and
conflict of interests (Sotarauta et al., 2012), it is easy to suggest change in education but it is
difficult to implement, and very difficult to maintain (Hargreaves & Fink, 2006), and Boe &
Hognestad (2019) point out that sustainable improvements in educational environments depend
on successful leadership, and Sutaruta also points out that the human factor must be better
taken since they are the ones who make leadership and change in sustainable development,
leaders are the actors who have more power than others in society. It is necessary to overcome
bureaucratic constraints, so that we find their influence working outside the traditional limits of
authority, and that sustainable leadership works flexibly, interconnectedly, interactively,
collaboratively and cares about the impact on the surrounding environment. and society
(Sotarauta et al., 2012). In addition to paying attention to the methods and practices in order to
enhance and improve the results (Ishtiwi, 2017). Moreover, education sector faces a problem in
the quality of leaders and the reason for this is the increase in work pressure, insufficient school
funding, and the diversity in the abilities of the growing students.
For educational administrators, critical theory does not provide statements of how they
should act. Instead, critical theory generates statements of specific instances of reality in
schooling on which administrators then reflect. These statements of reality are evaluated and
then incorporated into administrators' actions, if the statements are reflectively acceptable.
Theory is generated by individuals engaged in the critique of reality and the resultant exposure
of the inconsistencies between the real and the ideal. Under this perspective, each person is a
theorist and the theory generated is personal and may or may not be accepted by others. Thus,
there is not a specific body of educational administration theory from the critical perspective.
Critical educational administration theory provides a means whereby school leaders can
understand and ultimately disentangle themselves from the external and internal forces which
impinge upon educational practice. As Hoy (1994) clarified: "Critical theory attempts to raise
peoples' consciousness about their living and working condition through logic and debate, but in
the process it relies on the generation and analysis of ideologies" (pp. 183-184). The mere
understanding of these forces or ideologies is insufficient from the critical perspective.
Understanding must lead to action. While critical theory would generate no body of formal
theory regarding educational administration, there would exist a dynamic process of self-
reflection which would result in the administrator becoming more self-determined.
Globalization and rapid advancement in information and communication technology
(ICT) are continuously changing the landscape of our academic, professional, and personal
lives. Recently, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has approved a “blueprint”
that will guide its ten member-states on initiatives to achieve regional integration. This
integration allows the memberstates to participate in the flow of goods and services, capital,
foreign investment, and labor. It also opens doors for regional job markets making the
competition tougher and pushing the education sectors to produce competent graduates who
possess skills needed to actively contribute to this knowledge-based society. The need to
develop these skills gave rise to 21st century learning which refers to a pedagogical concept
that emphasizes skills and knowledge needed by learners in order to succeed in work, life, and
citizenship (The Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2015). On top of improving these skills,
the ASEAN education ministers also declared the importance of English language training in
narrowing development gaps (8th ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting, 2014).
Locally, it has been observed that a 10-year basic education curriculum remains to be
congested and that students could not legally enter into contracts for employment and
entrepreneurship when they finish high school (Calderon, 2014). It was also observed that
students lack maturity and competencies in various subject areas when they graduate from high
school. In fact, data shows that the score of basic education students in the Philippines in the
national achievement tests (NATs) across subjects remained to be way below the 75-percent
target of the Department of Education (Department of Education, 2013; UNESCO, 2015).
These recent developments in the region and the need to develop ICT-literate
individuals have prompted the Philippine government to push for a new basic education
curriculum which seeks to provide a quality 12-year basic education program for Filipino
students. One major feature of this curriculum reform is the integration of 21st century learning
framework in order to help students succeed in the 21st century milieu (DepEd Order No. 55,
2015; SEAMEO INNOTECH, 2012). The K to 12 curriculum lengthens schooling by adding a
two-year senior high school that offers technical and vocation courses. However, this education
reform should not only focus on preparing students for competitive employment and
entrepreneurship, narrowing development gaps, addressing the crowded curriculum, and
integrating ICT. Equally important is transforming them into socially critical and productive
citizens and equipping them with skills necessary for resisting the exploitative and oppressive
features of globalization that benefits only the global elite (Jackson, 2014).
Along with these developments is the curriculum review and enhancement of the English
curriculum in order to gain the lead in producing a pool of talents who have an adequate
command of the English language. However, some textbook writers and classroom teachers
reported that they struggle in implementing K -12 English curriculum for various reasons
(Pazzibugan, 2013; Valerio, 2015). For instance, teachers reported that they were confused on
re-planning their lessons due to the changes in the curriculum (Valerio, 2015). Regarding
textbook writing, some authors reported some difficulties in aligning the suggested
competencies per week into one consolidated and unified lesson. One reason for these
challenges is the lack of clarity and specificity of the curriculum. Before teachers can effectively
implement a curriculum, they must fully understand its basic concepts and implications for
classroom practice (Carless, 1998; Rahman, 2014; Smit, 2005) as well as the pedagogical
principles it advocates (Wang, 2008). Thus, there is a necessity to make the new English
curriculum clear, specific, coherent, and aligned to the established pedagogical principles such
as 21st century learning. Note, however, that education is a complex system embedded in a
cultural, economic, and political context. Although clarity, specificity, coherence, and alignment
of curriculum to 21st century learning and language learning principles are crucial ingredients
for a successful implementation of a curriculum, they may not be sufficient conditions to
advance language education. Other factors that must be considered include the overall wellness
of learners, safe and healthy learning environment, pedagogical processes that facilitate
learning (UNICEF, 2000), facilities (Chun, Kern, & Smith, 2016), roles and tasks of teachers
(Kubanyiova & Crookes, 2016), implicit language practices, and level of how the curriculum is
understood, valued, and implemented (Wiley & Garcia, 2016). In short, these scholars point out
the relevance of quality of learners, learning environment, content, and processes as well as the
sociopolitical, cultural and historical contexts in the successful implementation of any curricula.

Theoretical Framework
Critical theory, while positing the existence of objective reality and subjective knowledge
of reality, moves beyond both means of knowing to acknowledge the existing tension between
the objective and subjective knowledge of reality. Schools are viewed by the critical theorist as
created human structures which maintain current societal ideology. As such, schools continue
the social and intellectual restraints which cause people to remain oppressed. Schools are
objective entities engaged in ideological maintenance, but there exists no body of theory about
schools because schools are composed of individual people and the tension between these
individuals and the school is what provides the impetus for these individuals to engage in
critique of such oppression and thus become less restrained. The role of educational
administration theory from the critical perspective is to enable individuals within the schooling
process to become aware of the societal ideological restraints placed upon them and, through
reflection, become less controlled by these restraints.
Conceptual Framework
This review will adapt a conceptual framework that had been used in several other
reviews of EDLM research (Bridges, 1982; Hallinger, 2017; Leithwood et al., 1990). The
conceptual framework will seek to illuminate all features of the cause and effect relations of
educational leadership of teachers to the innovative teaching strategies especially inenglish
subject. Using critical analysis, the researcher aims to establish how educational leadership of
teachers skills such as social-networking intelligence, economic-managerial intelligence,
political decision-making intelligence, cultural-moral intelligence and scientific-technological
Intelligence together with their Professional occupational skills, academic preparedness and
workplace readiness affects the professional teaching practices and structured curriculum
program content delivery skills and systems.
Research Paradigm
Leadership is an essential pillar and axis to which various sectors are entrusted, especially in
the modern era. Throughout history, leaders have been the key to positive and impactful change
for the societal renaissance. Teachers, students and parents are directly impacted by the
teacher’s leadership skills in their respective schools. Their leadership skills allows them to
perform tasks that are essential in the school community that helps with the need of the student.
Today, the minds of the young need to be exposed to critical thinking, analysis and problem
solving strategies in a fast-changing world like ours. The teaching and learning of english
especially grammar and literature requires a unified and comprehensive approach relying on
teachers that are professionally trained and equipped with requisite knowledge and skills. The
adoption of student-centered instructional strategies which includes the inquiry method,
discussion, role play, simulation, games and other similar strategies have been shown to
enhance the active participation of students in the teaching and learning of grammar and
literature. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of how teachers’ educational
leadership skills affect their innovative teaching strategies in educating english subject in public
secondary high school.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this research study is to examine how teachers’ Educational Leadership
skills affect their Innovative English Teaching Strategies in Public Secondary Students.
Teachers are also asked to provide information regarding their perceived their role in the
development of sustainable school leadership. The research questions are:
1. What is the importance and need for sustainable educational leadership?
2. How is sustainable educational leadership perceived by teachers?
3. What manner can teachers’ educational leadership contribute to the development
of innovative teaching strategies?