This study examined crisis leadership among Basic Education school heads in Bulacan, with emphasis on leadership preparedness and practices anchored in Adaptive Leadership and Transformational Leadership theories. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, wherein quantitative data were first collected to determine the level of crisis leadership preparedness across five leadership dimensions: crisis planning and delegation, crisis implementation and people management, crisis communication and monitoring, crisis motivation and democratic leadership, and crisis accountability, transparency, and professional growth. Qualitative data were subsequently gathered through interviews and written responses to explain the quantitative findings. Results revealed a very high level of crisis leadership preparedness across all dimensions, with no significant differences based on school type, level handled, years of service, or school population. Qualitative findings showed that school heads managed crises through proactive planning, clear delegation, flexible implementation, people-centered leadership, shared decision-making, and continuous communication, although professional growth practices were largely informal. The integration of findings highlights the complementary roles of adaptive leadership in addressing uncertainty and transformational leadership in sustaining trust and motivation. Based on these results, a Crisis Leadership Action Framework was proposed to guide school heads before, during, and after crisis situations, emphasizing structured leadership training, reflective professional growth, inclusive communication, democratic practices, and policy alignment to strengthen organizational resilience and learning continuity.
Keywords: Crisis Leadership, Adaptive Leadership, Transformational Leadership, School Heads, Basic Education.
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