Kompetensi pengetua Sekolah Menengah Vokasional di Sulawesi Selatan

Abstract

Competent school principals who play their roles effectively as instructional leaders will result in attaining high level leadership and student achievement. Vocational Secondary School Principals (SMV) are said to face problems related to competency to demonstrate effective instructional leadership. This study explored the dimension o competencies to be mastered by the SMV principals, identified the relationship between the levels of competency with level of instructional leadership, examined the predictor between levels of competency and level of instructional leadership, and improved the design of competency for SMV principals. The study used a sequential exploration method that combines qualitative study and qualitative study. Using purposive sampling, the qualitative study was conducted through interviews with 12 SMV principals. The data were analysed thematically. Findings for the qualitative data analysis resulted in the discovery of 15 dimensions of competencies. Based on the findings, a questionnaire was developed. A pilot study was conducted on 32 SMV principals in South Sulawesi. The reliability of the questionnaire had an internal consistency Conbrach Alpha α = 0.996. Then, a quantitative research was carried out using a self-developed questionnaire and instructional leadership questionnaire with the reliability coefficient Cronbach Alpha α = 0.984. Random sampling was carried out and 194 SMV principals participated in the study. Data were analysed using SPSS. The results showed that principals of SMV needed to master 10 dimensions of knowledge, nine dimensions of skills, and 11 dimensions of attributes to manage their schools. There was no significant relationship between the levels of competency of SMV principals with the level of instructional leadership. However, there was a significant but weak predictor between the principal dimension of competence and the level of leadership of SMV principals. Besides, the level of competence has a weak relationship with the leadership level of SMV principals. The findings indicated that with the three key dimensions of competency, only the attribute dimension can predict the instructional leadership. Based on the findings, a framework of SMV principals’ competency in South Sulawesi-Indonesia is produced.