ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Leadership in Education
Exploring the Application of Academic Leadership Skills in Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs), Philippines: Basis for Institutional Sustainability and Innovation
Provisionally accepted
- Batangas State University - Pablo Borbon Campus, Batangas, Philippines
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ABSTRACT: This study explores the application of academic leadership competencies namely, technical, human, and conceptual, among academic leaders in Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) in the Philippines, with a view toward enhancing institutional sustainability and innovation. Anchored in the strategic role of TEIs as instrument of future educators, the research responds to persistent disparities in performance outcomes and the emerging demands of quality assurance, digital transformation, and global benchmarking. Employing a descriptive research design, the study surveyed 31 academic leaders and 130 faculty members across public and private TEIs in Batangas Province. Data were collected through a validated questionnaire and analyzed using weighted mean scores to determine the extent of leadership skill application. Findings reveal that technical and human skills are applied to a very great extent, particularly in contingency decision-making, participatory planning, and promoting institutional trust. Conceptual skills, while present, are comparatively less emphasized, indicating a calculated gap in visioning and change management. The study emphasizes the need for competency-based leadership development programs and institutional mechanisms that support adaptive, inclusive, and progressive governance. By mapping leadership practices to sustainability outcomes, the research contributes to strengthening TEIs' capacity to navigate educational reforms and uphold excellence in teacher preparation.
Keywords: academic leadership, conceptual skills, Human skills, innovation, institutional sustainability, Philippines, teacher education institutions, Technical skills
Received: 14 Oct 2025; Accepted: 30 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Zara. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Celso Garcia Zara
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