Roland M. Fronda, EdD, CESO V

Schools Division Office Balanga City

Completed 2026

ABSTRACT

This study explored the ethical considerations experienced and navigated by public managers in the Department of Education (DepEd) as they engaged with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in policy implementation and educational governance. Guided by heuristic phenomenology, the research examined how Assistant Schools Division Superintendents (ASDS) interpreted ethical responsibilities, decision-making processes, accountability, and professional judgment in AI-assisted governance. The study utilized a qualitative research design grounded in Moustakas’ heuristic phenomenological approach. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews with eight ASDS participants who were purposively selected based on their leadership roles and direct involvement in educational governance and policy implementation. Findings revealed that participants encountered ethical concerns involving data privacy, misinformation, contextual inaccuracies, algorithmic bias, plagiarism, overdependence on AI, and the weakening of human judgment. Participants emphasized that AI should function only as a supplementary governance tool and not as a replacement for ethical leadership and human accountability. The study further revealed the absence of comprehensive institutional AI governance frameworks within DepEd, resulting in reliance on personal ethics and professional judgment. Despite operational advantages provided by AI, participants consistently highlighted the importance of transparency, explain ability, contextual validation, and human oversight in governance processes. The study contributed to the growing discourse on ethical AI governance in education by providing empirical insights from public managers in a developing-country context. It concluded that effective AI governance depends primarily on the ethical reflexivity and moral accountability of public leaders rather than on technological capability alone.