Challenges in Resource Management: Decision-Making Practices Among School Heads
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2026.026Keywords:
Educational governance, School leadership, Decision-making, Strategic planning, Resource allocation, Stakeholder collaboration, Coping strategies, School headsAbstract
This study examines the challenges school heads face in decision making regarding resource allocation and the coping strategies they employ. Using a descriptive–correlational design, data were collected from 130 school heads in the Schools Divisions of Bais City, Tanjay City, and Dumaguete City through random sampling. The findings indicate that limited budgets and competing priorities, external influences and stakeholder pressure, and insufficient time for long-term planning constitute major challenges in resource allocation. At the same time, limitations in data-driven decision-making practices were perceived as a moderate challenge. To address these constraints, school heads reported high engagement in regular budget reviews, participatory decision-making, data-informed strategies, and strategic planning. The results further reveal no significant relationships between the challenges encountered and the coping strategies employed, nor between demographic characteristics and perceived challenges. These findings suggest that difficulties in resource allocation are largely shaped by contextual and implementation-related factors rather than individual characteristics. Strengthening organizational support mechanisms, leadership capacity building initiatives, stakeholder collaboration, and localized policy alignment may contribute to more resilient, equitable, and effective resource management in public schools.
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