📄 Abstract
School heads in modern basic education systems face the challenging problem of balancing instructional supervision and strategic administrative competence. While distinct empirical research addresses these variables individually, the role of school culture as an explanatory mechanism linking instructional leadership and strategic management competency is spread across the global literature. The systematic literature review follows strictly the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020). The systematic search was carried out in ERIC, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar for articles published between 2016 and 2026. The initial retrieval yielded a total of N = 76 citations; 16 duplicates were eliminated, leaving 60 unique entries to be screened at the title/abstract level. Sixteen records were eliminated at screening, leaving 44 articles for full-text assessment against pre-specified criteria. Seventeen papers were removed for stated reasons, resulting in a final synthesis of N = 27 eligible empirical and theoretical investigations. In addition, the methods was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Thematic synthesis indicates that instructional leadership directly affects the strategic management competency of school heads (r = 0.35 to 0.58) and fosters a high trust, collaborative and adaptive school culture simultaneously. Crucially, structural equation modeling of empirical studies included shows that school culture is a significant partial to full mediator, channeling the behavioral impetus of instructional guidance toward long-term strategic planning, resource optimization, and school improvement execution. These findings contribute important information for basic education policy in general and especially when considering the Department of Education (DepEd) Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSS) and School-Based Management (SBM) framework in the Philippines.
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📚 How to Cite:
Jenilyn G. Cerna, Joven M. Defacto, Omar A. Dres, Daryl Mae B. Fabay, Marleonie M. Bauyot , THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SCHOOL CULTURE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE: A PRISMA 2020 SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW , Volume 12 , Issue 10, October 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 242 - 247 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra31817