The Leadership-Management Budi Mulia School: How School Leaders Cultivate Safe and Supportive Learning Environments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51278/aj.v8i3.2323Keywords:
Educational Leadership, School Management, Safe Learning , Environment, Professional Learning CommunitiesAbstract
The study explored how educational management was combined with educational leadership in order to create a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment (SSLE) at Budi Mulia School. The study also investigated the ambiguity surrounding traditional principal-centered views of educational leadership. The study is a qualitative single-case study and lasted for 12 weeks during which time 14 participants were purposively selected: 1 principal, 2 vice-principals, 3 department heads, 6 teachers and 2 counselors. The data collection consisted of 14 semi-structured in-depth interviews as well as non-participant observations and documentation. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method with NVivo 14 and presented in four Visual Parameter Models (VPMs). From the research into the school’s management and leadership practices, four main findings emerged, namely the combination of regulatory firmness with empathetic leadership, the development of an inclusive anti-bullying culture, the support of teacher leadership through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and the use of adaptive SOPs to maintain stability during crises. These findings are presented along with supporting data from all three data sets. Triangulation across the data sources supported the credibility of the findings and their possible relevance to similar educational settings. The findings could be useful for educational managers in other educational contexts. School administrators are provided with insight into how management can be carried out by combining policy enforcement with relational care to support teachers and the learning environment, reduce instructional anxiety, and improve classroom teaching effectiveness. Originality/value: The study adds a tool to research on school leadership by outlining a Visual Parameter Model that describes how control by management and care by leadership can be combined within a private values-based school context.
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