EMPOWERING THROUGH AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: STRENGTHENING TEACHERS’ MORALE

The study unfolded the experiences of the school heads in award and recognition approach for teachers. This study employed a phenomenological research design which aims to determine the experiences and perceptions of the eight (8) participants. The generated themes on the positive experiences of teachers were improved work and creation of school-community Collaboration. On the other hand, the themes under negative experiences were the feeling of being left out, the sense of distrust and envy, and increased stress levels. Meanwhile, in the coping mechanisms of school heads in awards and recognition approach for the teachers, three subthemes were generated which were re-defining school cultures, providing appropriate motivation, and enacting different roles. Lastly, for the insights drawn from the experiences of the school heads three subthemes were also generated which were instituting a positive culture, creating trusting relationships, and provide adaptive leadership. These implied that school heads can provide effective support to teachers when utilizing a collaborative and coordinated strategy to facilitate improvement in teacher performance. Moreover, the results generated provided comprehensive data in conducting future research with similar scope. This study may be published in reputable research journal. KEYWORDS: Experiences, awards, recognition, approach, Tagum City