Philippine E-Journals

A Teacher Empowerment Framework for Enhancing Professional Capability: Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study

Rex U. Celosia | Maria Liesle A Dopeno | Jay L. Galimpin

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Teacher empowerment remains a critical concern in public education be- cause it influences teachers' professional agency, participation in school improvement, instructional effectiveness, and capacity to contribute meaningfully to educational change. Building from a previously conducted mixed-method investigation on teacher empowerment among public school teachers and school heads in Tagbilaran City and Bohol Divisions, this article presents the development of a research-based teacher empow- erment framework. The empirical foundation of the framework was drawn from quantitative findings involving school administrators and teachers, as well as qualitative insights from selected participants. The original study revealed that school heads perceived teacher empowerment more favora- bly than teachers themselves, particularly in the domains of decision-mak- ing and impact. While professional growth and self-efficacy were rated highly by both groups, teachers reported more moderate levels of empow- erment in decision-making. Qualitative findings further identified inclusive leadership, trust, role assignment, support, collaboration, and communica- tion as enabling conditions, while micromanagement, limited autonomy, restrictive decision-making, insufficient engagement, and lack of transpar- ency served as hindering factors. Based on these findings, the proposed framework highlights five key areas: decision-making autonomy, profes- sional development access, trust and recognition, collaborative leadership, and empowerment in practice. The framework offers practical guidance for school heads, teachers, and education supervisors in designing school- level mechanisms that strengthen teacher participation, professional agency, and shared accountability. The article contributes to educational management literature by translating mixed-method findings into an ac- tionable framework for teacher empowerment in public school contexts.