Perceptions of Good and Bad Leaders by Philippine Teachers

Abstract

The research attempted to answer the question: “What do Philippine teachers perceive as important traits and behaviors of good and bad leaders?” Related to this were three sub questions:1. How do Philippine teachers compare with those in other countries in their perceptions on leadership?2. Do male and female Philippine teachers share similar perceptions on leadership?3. Do old and young Philippine teachers share similar perceptions on leadership?A questionnaire asked 90 Filipino teachers to rank their top three choices from among 8 traits of good leaders, then among 8 behaviors of good leaders, then 8 traits of bad leaders, and finally 8 behaviors of bad leaders. Comparisons were then drawn between the Philippine results and those in other countries, as well as between males and females within the Philippine sample, and younger and older Philippine teachers.Philippine teachers clearly valued honesty as the most important trait, and showing respect as the most important behavior of a good leader. This result is slightly different from that of some other countries, where, for example, intelligence or dependability was deemed the most important trait.Further, the study revealed several significant differences on several items between men and women, as well as between old teachers and young teachers.