Author

Mary Jane P. Reyes
Dominican College of Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines
Email: maryreyes@dcsr.edu.ph

Abstract

This study examined the influence of vocation-centered leadership on teacher commitment and retention in selected Dominican Catholic schools, namely Dominican School Manila, Dominican School San Juan, and Dominican School Santa Rosa. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design, the study involved 100 purposively selected teachers who had served in their respective institutions for at least one academic year. A validated survey questionnaire measured teachers’ perceptions of vocation-centered leadership in terms of spiritual leadership, servant leadership, transformational leadership, and professional mentorship, as well as their levels of commitment (affective, continuance, and normative) and retention (job satisfaction, institutional loyalty, and turnover intention). Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including Pearson correlation and analysis of variance, were employed to analyze the data. Findings revealed that vocation-centered leadership was practiced to a high extent across all dimensions. Teachers likewise demonstrated high levels of commitment and retention, indicating strong emotional attachment, moral obligation, and practical reasons for remaining in their institutions, alongside high job satisfaction and institutional loyalty. A significant difference was found between teacher commitment and teacher retention, with commitment rated slightly higher than retention, suggesting that although teachers are highly committed, other contextual factors may still influence their long-term stay. Moreover, vocation-centered leadership showed a significant and positive relationship with both teacher commitment and teacher retention, with servant leadership emerging as the strongest predictor, followed by spiritual and transformational leadership. The study concludes that leadership grounded in vocation, faith, and service plays a vital role in strengthening teachers’ professional commitment and sustaining their retention in Catholic schools. Based on these results, a teacher commitment and retention framework anchored in vocation-centered leadership is proposed to guide school heads in fostering a supportive, mission-driven, and stable teaching workforce.

Keywords: Vocation-centered leadership, teacher’s retention, teacher’s commitment, Catholic Schools

DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0501733

Recommended citation:
Reyes, M. J. P. (2026). Vocation-centered leadership: Strengthening teacher commitment and retention in the Catholic Schools. Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (1), 8100-8109. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0501733

Read the full text

References

Aguilar, G. (2024). Decision-making among principals of parish-based Catholic elementary schools (Unpublished doctoral dissertation).

Anding, H. C., Babia, J. P., Umlas, M. L., & Alaras, L. G. (2022). School climate: Its influence on the commitment and motivation of JHS private school teachers in Bogo City, Philippines. Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 6(2), 1–15. https://www.journalppw.com/index.php/jppw/article/view/11162

Anog, M. D. I., de Vera, J. V., & Peteros, E. D. L. (2024). Examining teacher retention through the lens of job satisfaction and commitment in a Philippine private school. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(9), 242–264. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.9.13

Asrin, A., Ramdhani, A., Muhaimi, L., & Maulyda, M. A. (2022). Principals’ leadership strategy to improve link and match quality for vocational education. Jurnal Kependidikan, 6(1), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.21831/jk.v6i1.4498041

Ball, R. (2023). Leadership interventions to improve teacher retention: A quasi-experimental study (Doctoral dissertation).

Bryant, L. (2023). Strategies to address teacher shortages in urban Catholic schools: A programmatic review.

Cabanilla, A. B., Pontillas, P. V., & Comon, J. D. (2024). Teachers’ commitment and their performance in Naawan District, Misamis Oriental. European Modern Studies Journal, 8(3), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.59573/emsj.8(3).2024.19

Cadiong, A. M. (2024). Competence, leadership skills, and professional commitment of elementary teachers in the National Capital Region, Philippines. Dinkum Journal of Social Innovations, 3(12), 646–663. https://doi.org/10.71017/djsi.3.12.d-0387

Camus, K. (2024). Principals’ leadership style, teachers’ commitment and performance among secondary schools. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 23(5), 668–685. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13294958

Castillo, M. H., & Barrameda, C. N. (2024). A personal development framework on core values for Catholic school teachers. Journal of Research, Policy & Practice of Teachers & Teacher Education, 14(1), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.37134/jrpptte.vol14.1.2.2024

Dangcolis, R. (2024). Implementation of self-paced supplementary instructional material (SIM) in developing practical research skills among Grade 12 students. Pantao International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.69651/puhss030313

Eslinger, J. C. (2023, November 27). Equity-centered school leaders. Phi Delta Kappan. https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217231219400

Gallardo, M. F. M., Llanos, N. L., & Perez, G. R. (2024). Leadership styles of the principals through the lens of teachers and staff: A phenomenological exploration. Dinkum Journal of Social Innovations, 3(8), 470–481. https://doi.org/10.71017/djsi.3.8.d-0369

Gautier, M. L. (2020). Recent vocations to religious life: A report for the National Religious Vocation Conference. National Religious Vocation Conference and Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. https://www.cmsm.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CARA-NRVC-2020-vocations-study-03-25-2020.pdf

Hallman, H. L. (2023). Experiences of teachers in U.S. Catholic schools during the COVID-19 pandemic era. British Journal of Religious Education, 46(3), 323–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2023.2265580

Laxamana, R. A. (2023). The lived experiences of loyal teachers: Implications for Catholic leadership (Master’s thesis). Central Luzon Archdiocesan Schools. https://rpo.ua.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/8.-Summit-2019-Lived-Experiences-256.pdf

Lorensius, L., Warman, W., Silpanus, S., & Ping, T. (2024). Leadership model and planning strategies in private Catholic colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Educational Studies in Social Sciences, 1(2), Article 16. https://doi.org/10.53402/ijesss.v1i2.16

Maculada, R. D., & Guanzon, R. S. (2023). Teachers’ religious commitment and work performance in public schools, Southern Negros Occidental, Philippines. Polaris Global Journal of Scholarly Research and Trends, 3(1), Article 109. https://doi.org/10.58429/pgjsrt.v3n1a109

Magallanes, V. M., & Dioso, D. P. (2020). Leadership style practices of principals and organizational commitment profile of employees of diocesan Catholic schools. Philippine Social Science Journal, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v3i2.156

Magboo, J. A., Velasco, C. Q., & Luis, L. F. (2023). School heads’ instructional leadership behavior and teachers’ work engagement in public elementary schools, Quezon. International Journal of Social Sciences in Humanities and Management Research, 2(6), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2023.v2i6no19

National Catholic Educational Association. (n.d.). Governance and leadership resources. https://ncea.org/resources

Maqbool, S., Zafeer, H. M. I., Zeng, P., Mohammad, T., Khassawneh, O., & Wu, L. (2023). The role of diverse leadership styles in teaching to sustain academic excellence at secondary level. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1096151. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1096151

McCarthy, D. E. (2023). Principal and teacher perspectives on cultivating fit in Catholic high schools: A multiple case study (Doctoral dissertation). Baylor University. https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/bitstreams/01424694-4abc-41ae-81a2-f03b61e8f200/download

Menon, M. E. (2023). Transformational school leadership and the COVID-19 pandemic: Perceptions of teachers in Cyprus. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231166515

Miller, A. F., Noble, A., & McQuillan, P. (2022). Understanding leadership for adaptive change in Catholic schools: A complexity perspective. Journal of Catholic Education, 25(1), 54–83. https://doi.org/10.15365/joce.2501032022

NetVUE & Council of Independent Colleges. (2020). Vocation across the academy grants: Awarded projects. https://cic.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/NetVUE-Vocation-Across-the-Academy-Grants-Awards-2020.pdf

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). Teachers and leaders in vocational education and training. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/59d4fbb1-en

Ramirez, H. J. C. (2024). Leadership style of school heads and its influence to teacher retention: Basis for a teacher retention plan. AIDE Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 10(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.56648/aide-irj.v10i1.151

Roche Center for Catholic Education. (n.d.). Catholic leadership cohort and programs. Boston College. https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/lynch-school/sites/roche/Programs.html

Saldevia, E., & Pedroso, J. E. (2025). The case of teacher turnover in a private school from the Philippines. EIKI Journal of Effective Teaching Methods, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.59652/jetm.v3i2.557

Tanucan, J. C. M., Negrido, C. V., & Malaga, G. N. (2022). Digital leadership of school heads and job satisfaction of teachers in the Philippines during the pandemic. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 21(6), 99–114. https://ijlter.org/index.php/ijlter/article/view/6061/0

Tran, H., & Jenkins, Z. (2022). Embracing the future of education work with talent-centered education leadership. Journal of Education Human Resources, 40(2), 266–276. https://doi.org/10.3138/jehr-2021-0051

UNESCO. (2022). UNESCO strategy for TVET 2022–2029: Transforming technical and vocational education and training for successful and just transitions. UNESCO-UNEVOC. https://unevoc.unesco.org/pub/unesco_strategy_for_tvet_2022-2029.pdf

Witenstein, M. A., & Iyengar, R. (2023). Policies, practices and the future of technical and vocational education and training for communities in the margins. Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/eda_fac_pub/294/