Challenges and Strategies of School Heads in Implementing and Managing Change in Schools

Managing change within educational institutions presents a range of challenges that can significantly impact the success of reform initiatives. This study explores these challenges and offers strategic recommendations to enhance the implementation and management of change in schools. Utilizing a qualitative research approach with a phenomenological research design, the study involved in-depth interviews with six school administrators, including school heads and teacher-in-charge personnel from various schools within the DepEd Division of Iligan City. Participants were selected based on their relevance to the study's objectives. Moustakas’ phenomenological approach was employed to analyze and interpret the responses, leading to the identification of sixteen major themes: Resistance to Change, Lack of Resources, Inadequate Trained Personnel, Unexpected Change, Alignment to Curriculum Standards, Communication Challenges, Sustaining Change Over Time, Managing Diverse Team Dynamics, Collaboration and Building Relationships, Strengthening Clear and Open Communication, Support Systems, Feedback and Evaluation Systems, Continuous Professional Development and Training, Collaboration and Stakeholder Involvement, Communication and Support, and Patience and Long-Term Focus. The findings underscore the importance of addressing resistance, enhancing communication, and leveraging professional development and external collaborations as essential components of effective change management in education. These recommendations provide a comprehensive framework for educational leaders to implement change more successfully and sustainably.