Exploring the Relationships Among School-Based Management Implementation, Teacher Competence, and Learner Outcomes in Pure Multigrade Schools

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study explored the relationships among School-Based Management (SBM) implementation, teacher competence, and learner outcomes in three pure multigrade schools in Argao District I. The quantitative phase involved nine teacher-participants and secondary records from 99 learners; teacher-level data included SBM implementation ratings and RPMS-IPCRF-based competence indicators, while learner outcomes were drawn from official school records on academic performance, mean percentage score, attendance, and participation. Descriptive results showed that SBM implementation was rated Always Evident across leadership and governance, curriculum and instruction, accountability and continuous improvement, and resource management. Teacher competence was generally rated Outstanding, although classroom management was Very Satisfactory. Learner outcomes were high in attendance and participation, while academic performance and MPS indicated areas for continued instructional support. Spearman's rho results showed no statistically detectable associations in this small sample between SBM implementation and teacher competence (rho = 0.07, p = 0.86), SBM implementation and learner outcomes (rho = -0.04, p = 0.93), and teacher competence and learner outcomes (rho = 0.05, p = 0.91). Because of the small analytic sample and restricted variability in several indicators, the quantitative findings are interpreted as exploratory and context-bound rather than as evidence of causal or generalizable effects. Qualitative findings suggested that teachers perceived SBM as an enabling governance and support framework through collaboration, professional development, stakeholder engagement, and instructional adaptation; however, workload, limited resources, learner diversity, and administrative demands constrained direct classroom impact. Integrated findings therefore suggest that SBM may support teaching and learning indirectly when governance mechanisms are deliberately linked with instructional leadership, competency-based professional development, data-informed learner support, and community participation. The proposed output is framed as context-bound SBM guidelines for pilot testing and evaluation in similar pure multigrade settings.