Abstract
In the Philippine educational setting, area coordinators serve as key academic leaders responsible for managing subject-specific programs and mentoring teachers. In this premise, this study determine the level of area coordinators’ leadership skills regarding the level of teachers’ performance in a public national high school in a large-sized division in Central Philippines during the school year 2024-2025. Data for this descriptive study was collected from 51 teachers using a self-made data gathering instrument that has passed the rigorous test of validity and reliability and for teacher performance was measured using standard performance evaluation criteria or the Individual Performance Commitment and Review Form (IPCRF) during School Year 2023-2024. The analysis revealed that area coordinators were rated highly across all leadership areas, with communication and management styles receiving the highest ratings. Teachers’ performance was consistently evaluated as very satisfactory across demographic groups. Results showed no significant difference in the perceptions of leadership skills in communication, mentoring, technical assistance, management styles, and teacher performance when grouped by sex and highest educational attainment. However, a significant difference was noted in communication when grouped according to length of service, with newer teachers showing higher appreciation for leadership communication. Furthermore, no significant relationship was found between the overall leadership skills of area coordinators and teacher performance. The study recommends that leadership training and capacity-building programs be tailored to meet the varying needs of both novice and experienced teachers, with particular emphasis on differentiated mentoring and technical assistance.
Keywords: Area coordinators, leadership skills, teacher performance, public secondary education, Individual Performance Commitment and Review Form (IPCRF), mentoring and technical assistance, educational leadership