Transformational Educational Leadership in Indonesia and the Philippines: Cultural Contexts and National Strategic Education Plans

Muh. Takdir; Aldo Redho Syam; Linda Ika Mayasari; Dimas Kurnia Robby; Mohammad-Yusoph P. Mapia

doi:10.29240/jsmp.v10i2.17904

Authors

Muh. Takdir Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9548-6848
Aldo Redho Syam Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5979-6555
Linda Ika Mayasari Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5543-4146
Dimas Kurnia Robby Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2041-0571
Mohammad-Yusoph P. Mapia Mindanao State University, Philippines https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6762-6962

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29240/jsmp.v10i2.17904

Keywords:

Transformational Educational Leadership, Cultural Contexts, National Strategic Education Plans, Policy Enactment, Comparative Study, Southeast Asia

Abstract

This study compares how secondary school principals in Indonesia and the Philippines enact transformational leadership at the intersection of local cultural values and national education policy. National strategic education plans are understood here as the multi-year policy frameworks, and the flagship programmes derived from them, through which central governments direct schools. A qualitative comparative case study was conducted with six purposively selected principals (three per country). Data came from semi-structured interviews, direct observation and school documents, and were analysed thematically. In their own accounts, principals in both countries acted as mediators who interpreted national policy, notably the Guru Penggerak programme in Indonesia and School-Based Management in the Philippines, and adapted it to local conditions. They drew on values such as gotong royong and musyawarah in Indonesia and pakikisama in the Philippines to build consensus, involve teachers and share responsibility, although the same values also limited directive action and are not uniform across regions. Principals handled resource constraints through creativity and community partnerships. Differences in learning innovation, project-based learning in Indonesia and digital platforms in the Philippines, appear to reflect policy content and infrastructure at least as much as culture. The study proposes contextual translation, the interpretation and re-presentation of national policy through local cultural and material resources, as a concept for understanding transformational leadership in decentralised systems. The findings rest on six cases and should not be generalised to either country.

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