Abstract
This study determined the levels of leadership practices and institutional strategies for research culture development in graduate nursing education programs in Central Visayas, Philippines, during the academic year 2025-2026. Utilizing a descriptive research design, data were collected from 200 academic leaders and personnel through a purposive sampling method from four CHED-accredited programs. The findings revealed that leadership practices attained an overall mean of 4.09 (“High Level”), with Quality Assurance and Ethical Leadership scoring highest (4.20) and Research Mentorship and Capacity Building scoring lowest (3.97). Similarly, institutional strategies reached a high level (Overall Mean = 4.10), where Policy, Governance, and Ethical Standards emerged as the strongest area (4.20), while Infrastructure, Resources, and Collaboration were identified as the weakest (4.06). Comparative analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test indicated significant differences in perceptions based on age, with younger leaders reporting higher scores across all dimensions (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found when respondents were grouped by sex. The study concludes that while policy frameworks are well-established, there is a critical need for enhanced mentorship structures and practical resource allocation to fully sustain a robust research culture. An innovation plan was proposed to address these gaps.
Keywords: Academic leaders, graduate nursing education, innovation plan, institutional strategies, leadership practices