LEADING LASTING CHANGE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF SCHOOL LEADERS IN SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of school leaders in leading sustainable school improvement initiatives, drawing from thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with principals and teacher-leaders in Philippine public schools. Key findings reveal four core themes: leadership as an enduring challenge demanding resilience amid resource constraints and daily crises; collaboration as the foundation of sustainability through stakeholder partnerships, distributed roles, and professional learning communities; school improvement centered on holistic learner outcomes via integrated academic, health, environmental, and cultural interventions; and sustainability as long-term systems embedded in school culture rather than transient projects. Effective strategies include participatory planning, habit reinforcement, and strategic prioritization aligned with School Improvement Plans (SIPs) and DepEd processes. The results align with extant literature on distributed leadership, systems thinking, and wholeschool approaches, highlighting how collective ownership and capacity-building sustain reforms beyond individual tenures. Implications underscore the need for resilience-focused training and policy support for equitable, culturally responsive practices, particularly in Indigenous contexts. This study advances educational leadership theory by reframing sustainability as cultural institutionalization, offering practical insights for resilient school transformation in resource-limited settings.