Embedding Character Education through Transformational Leadership: A Qualitative Study of Principal-Led Human Resource Development in an Indonesian Muhammadiyah Primary School Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23917/varidika.v37i2.9037Keywords:
Elementary School, Human Development Resources, transformational leadershipAbstract
This study investigates the transformational leadership practices of elementary school principals in the context of human resource management, an area often overlooked compared to organizational or corporate settings. Conducted at an Indonesian Muhammadiyah Elementary School. This ethnographic qualitative research explores the cultural dynamics and leadership behaviors influencing the management of school personnel. Participants included the principal, curriculum coordinator, facilities staff, treasurer, teachers across grades I–VI, school employees, and grade VI students. Data were gathered through observation, interviews, and document analysis, and analyzed via data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the principal exhibits a blend of democratic, visionary, and semi-authoritarian leadership styles. Notably, transformational leadership was enacted through inspirational motivation and idealized influence, demonstrated via multimedia, storytelling, and structured spiritual routines. The principal communicated the school’s vision and mission clearly, serving as a role model while initiating various human resource development initiatives—such as refining standard operating procedures (SOPs), enhancing teacher and staff competencies, improving academic performance, and expanding professional networks. The study underscores that the principal’s effective transformational leadership significantly contributes to elevating teacher motivation, enthusiasm, achievement, and performance, ultimately enhancing the overall educational quality at the school.
Downloads
References
Akbar, L., & Imaniyati, N. (2019). Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Terhadap Kinerja Guru. Jurnal Pendidikan Manajemen Perkantoran, 4(2), 176. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpm.v4i2.18012
Akbar, N. (2017). Tipe Dan Gaya Kepemimpinan Pendidikan Dan Dakwah. Al-Hiwar : Jurnal Ilmu Dan Teknik Dakwah, 5(9), 9979–9985. https://doi.org/10.18592/al-hiwar.v5i9.1883
Botutihe P, Masaong A, & Marhawati B. (2023). Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Dalam Penerapan Kurikulum Merdeka Sekolah Dasar. INNOVATIVE: Journal Of Social Science Research, 3(2), 6424–6436.
Efendi, F., Sunaryo, H., & Harijanto, D. (2023). Efektivitas Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah melalui Komitmen Kerja terhadap Kinerja Guru Merdeka Belajar. Jurnal Akuntabilitas Manajemen Pendidikan, 11(2), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.21831/jamp.v11i2.60605
Effendi, Y. R. (2022). Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Dalam Pengimplementasian Program Pendidikan Karakter di Era Global. JDMP (Jurnal Dinamika Manajemen Pendidikan), 6(1). https://doi.org/10.26740/jdmp.v6n1.p17-32
Fadhilah, M. L. Z., Suryadi, S., & Abubakar, A. (2020). Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Terhadap Etos Kerja Guru dan Staf. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan: Jurnal Ilmiah Administrasi, Manajemen Dan Kepemimpinan Pendidikan, 2(2), 206–224. https://doi.org/10.21831/jump.v2i2.34635
Fauziah, N. M., Ishartono, N., Chamsudin, A., Junaedi, A., Razak, R. B. A., & Halili, S. H. B. (2025). Exploring of geometry concepts in Batik Kopi Pecah Salem. AIP Conference Proceedings, 020042. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0262006
Habibi, B., & Maya Hapsari, I. (2023). Kepemimipinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru. COMSERVA Indonesian Jurnal of Community Services and Development, 2(10), 2175–2185. https://doi.org/10.59141/comserva.v2i10.630
Husaini, R. N., & Sutama, S. (2021). Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia Dalam Instansi Pendidikan. Didaktis: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan, 21(1), 60–75. https://doi.org/10.30651/didaktis.v21i1.6649
Ishartono, N., Halili, S. H. binti, & Razak, R. binti A. (2025). Exploring factors affecting the preservice mathematics teachers’ use of digital mathematics learning media during online teaching practice. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2444532
Ishartono, N., Halili, S. H. binti, Razak, R. binti A., & Jufriansah, A. (2024). Factors shaping Indonesian preservice math teachers’ digital media adoption in online mathematics teaching practice: An instrument development and validation study. Journal on Mathematics Education, 15(4), 1219–1250. https://doi.org/10.22342/jme.v15i4.pp1219-1250
Izzati, M., Sutama, S., & Fauziati, E. (2024). Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Dasar. JAMPARING: Jurnal Akuntansi Manajemen Pariwisata Dan Pembelajaran Konseling, 2(1), 168–174. https://doi.org/10.57235/jamparing.v2i1.1863
Jani, H. (2023). Model Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah dalam Membentuk Budaya Sekolah untuk Penerapan Kurikulum Merdeka. KALBISOCIO Jurnal Bisnis Dan Komunikasi, 10(1), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.53008/kalbisocio.v10i1.2074
Kadarsih, I., Marsidin, S., Sabandi, A., & Febriani, E. A. (2020). Peran dan Tugas Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah di Sekolah Dasar. Edukatif : Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 2(2), 194–201. https://doi.org/10.31004/edukatif.v2i2.138
Maris, I. S., Komariah, A., & Bakar, A. (2017). Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah, Kinerja Guru Dan Mutu Sekolah. Jurnal Administrasi Pendidikan, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.17509/jap.v23i2.5645
Marliyani, T., Margo Irianto, D., & Prihantini, P. (2023). Peran Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Dalam Optimalisasi Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka Di Sekolah Dasar. Naturalistic: Jurnal Kajian Dan Penelitian Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 8(1), 154–160. https://doi.org/10.35568/naturalistic.v8i1.3927
Minsih, M., Rusnilawati, R., & Mujahid, I. (2019). Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Membangun Sekolah Berkualitas Di Sekolah Dasar. Profesi Pendidikan Dasar, 1(1), 29–40. https://doi.org/10.23917/ppd.v1i1.8467
Mufid, A., Ishartono, N., Adhisa, R. R., Akbar, R. Z., Razak, R. B. A., & Halili, S. H. B. (2025). Ethnomathematics: Exploration of the geometric concepts of the Pendhapa Ageng Sasana Sewaka building. AIP Conference Proceedings, 020040. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0262005
Nahnudin, N., Fauzi, A., & Firdaos, R. (2023). Tadbir muwahhid. https://doi.org/10.30997/jtm.v7i1.8127
Nur, L., Disman, Ahman, E., Hendrayati, H., & Budiman, A. (2021). Analisis Kepemimpinan Transformasional. Ilmu Manajemen Dan Bisnis, 12(2), 185–199.
Nurrochman, T., Darsinah, D., & Wafroaturrohmah, W. (2023). Peran Kepemimpinan Pembelajaran Kepala Sekolah Melalui Transformasi Digital Pasca Pandemi Di Sekolah Dasar. Jurnal Tarbiyah Dan Ilmu Keguruan Borneo, 4(3), 299–310. https://doi.org/10.21093/jtikborneo.v4i3.6905
Otis, E., Ishartono, N., Rafii, M., Meidina, R., Amiliana, N., Razak, R. B. A., & Halili, S. H. B. (2025). Exploring of geometry concepts in Sambisari Temple. AIP Conference Proceedings, 020043. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0262008
Pratama, A. I., & Musthofa, M. (2019). Konsep Kepribadian Guru Menurut Ibnu Sahnun. Tawazun: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(1), 94. https://doi.org/10.32832/tawazun.v12i1.1891
Rahayu, R. S. (2018). Implementasi Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Dasar Negeri. Jurnal Manajemen Dan Supervisi Pendidikan, 2(3), 192–201. https://doi.org/10.17977/um025v2i32018p192
Rosita, R., Rahmat, M., & Hermawan, W. (2016). USAHA KEPALA SEKOLAH DALAM MENINGKATKAN MUTU PENDIDIKAN ISLAM (Studi Kasus di MTS AL-INAYAH Bandung). TARBAWY : Indonesian Journal of Islamic Education, 3(1), 75. https://doi.org/10.17509/t.v3i1.3460
Setiyaningtiyas, N., & Hartutik, H. (2022). Transformational Leadership of Kindergarten School Principal Based on “Integrity, Professionality, and Entrepreneurship.” Jurnal Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian Dan Kajian Kepustakaan Di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran Dan Pembelajaran, 8(3), 680. https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v8i3.5761
Setyowati, S. (2014). Etnografi Sebagai Metode Pilihan Dalam Penelitian Kualitatif Di Keperawatan. Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia, 10(1), 35–40. https://doi.org/10.7454/jki.v10i1.171
Sugianto, E. (2024). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah terhadap Kinerja Guru. Tsaqofah, 4(5), 3415–3421. https://doi.org/10.58578/tsaqofah.v4i5.3291
Suhada, M. M. (2021). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah, Budaya Sekolah, Dan Lingkungan Sekolah Terhadap Kinerja Guru Di Mi Islamiyah Wareng, Butuh, Purworejo, Jawa Tengah. IBTIDA- Jurnal Kajian Pendidikan Dasar, 1(1), 67–89. https://doi.org/10.33507/ibtida.v1i1.194
Suhaimi, & Khalik, A. (2018). Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah pada SMP Muhammadiyah 4 Banjarmasin. Jurnal Penelitian Tindakan Dan Pendidikan, 4(1), 37–46.
Sumbung, A. B., Nadeak, B., & ... (2022). The Effect of Transformational Leadership of School Principles and Teacher Integrity on the Quality of High School Graduates in the Toraja Utara District. … International Research and …, 20709–20722.
Ulya, N. H. A., Ishartono, N., Razak, R. B. A., Halili, S. H. B., Khomeini, M., & Mubarokah, L. (2025). Integration of steam-based video with timestamp to improve student’s understanding of geometric transformation. AIP Conference Proceedings, 020060. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0262009
Windasari, W., Roesminingsih, E., & Trihantoyo, S. (2022). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Terhadap Perubahan Organisasi Sekolah Dasar. Kelola: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan, 9(1), 99–110. https://doi.org/10.24246/j.jk.2022.v9.i1.p99-110
Wiratmoko, D., Murniati, N. A. N., & Abdullah, G. (2022). Kepemimpinan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Mutu di Sekolah Dasar. Jurnal Prakarsa Paedagogia, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.24176/jpp.v5i1.7998
Yufita, & Sihotang, H. (2020). Kepemimpinan Transformasional Dan Pemberdayaan Guru Dalam Tranformasi Pendidikan 4.0. Jurnal Dinamika Pendidikan, 13(2), 204–215. https://doi.org/10.33541/jdp.v13i2.1754
Yusanto, Y. (2020). Ragam Pendekatan Penelitian Kualitatif. Journal of Scientific Communication (Jsc), 1(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.31506/jsc.v1i1.7764
Downloads
Submitted
Accepted
Published
Versions
- 06/30/2025 (2)
- 06/29/2025 (1)
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Andi Prasetiyo, Sutama, Fitri Puji Rahmawati, Siti Marpuah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
