Flexibility and Adaptability of Secondary School Managers to 21st Century Skills

Abstract

The 21st century has set diverse changes on the role of the school managers in the management of schools requiring them to develop and use skills to cope up with such changes. Along this concern, this study aimed to look into the   flexibility   of school managers to 21^st century skills in handling educational technology, changing cultural values, diverse workforce and financial resources. Likewise, it also covered the extent of adaptability to 21^st century skills in learning and innovation, communication, life and career, and information, media and technology. Some issues and challenges   confronting the school managers were also considered. Moreover, the constraints of the school managers on flexibility and adaptability were also determined. Educational management had been the area of concern of this study.The researcher as a school principal was prompted to conduct this   study to  assess  the flexibility and adaptability   of school managers to 21st century skills in   all secondary schools in the Division of Batangas Province. Manila Philippines.The study made use of   the descriptive type of research with a researcher - made questionnaire as the main instrument in gathering data. In addition,   focus group discussion was also conducted to substantiate the data gathered from the questionnaire.  The study involved all 113 public secondary school managers and 362 secondary school teachers from the four congressional areas, Division of Batangas Province Philippines.  Weighted mean and t –test were the statistical tools utilized to treat data.The study was conducted in the public secondary schools in the Division of Batangas Province. Respondents included the school managers who are the school heads and teachers and their assessments on the school managers’ flexibility and adaptability in the 21st century management. The school manager respondents were all included as to the recent data from the Planning Section of the School Division Office for SY 2015-2016, while the teachers were determined through sampling.

The study was limited to the responses of the school managers, and teachers based on the research-made, questionnaires and focus group discussions on flexibility and adaptability of secondary school managers to 21st century skills. The proposed management plan was not tried out but the drafts were presented to school managers for comments and their suggestions incorporated in the final draft.  Based from the findings of the study, conclusions were drawn; it is evident that  school managers  are flexible in  handling  educational technology, changing cultural values, diverse workforce and financial resources, that  school managers show  their adaptability to 21st century skills to a great extent in relation  to the aspects of  learning and innovation, communication, life and career and information, media and technology; the issues and challenges confronting the 21st century school managers are  basically on weak ICT resources and capabilities, inadequate funds and conventional and traditional  beliefs of the people in the organization which are somewhat serious and  the two groups of respondents did not differ on their assessments as regard flexibility of school managers to 21st century skills but differed significantly on handling financial resources. There were no significant difference in their assessment in the school managers’ adaptability to learning and innovation however their responses differed on communication, life and career and information, media and technology.And a  proposed a management plan was prepared to enhance the flexibility and adaptability of public secondary school managers to 21^st century skills. If properly implemented, such management plan will heighten the productivity of public school managers as regard  leadership and management. This study is significant to all   educational learning leaders and teachers who excellently aimed to create a productive technologically driven  academic community with superb clienteles prepared and ready for life beyond borders. It is further noted that technology is important in a diverse environment but the learners were more important.