Integrative Leadership Practices in Improving Educational Quality in Special Education Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17977/um029v13i12026p1-10Keywords:
integrative leadership, inclusive school leadership, special education managementAbstract
Previous studies on school leadership have predominantly examined single leadership styles in general education settings, while limited attention has been given to how principals integrate multiple leadership approaches to improve educational quality in special education contexts, particularly in relation to the standards of educators and educational personnel. This study aims to explore integrative leadership practices employed by the principal in improving educational quality in a special education school. This research adopted a qualitative exploratory approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations involving the principal, classroom teachers, subject teachers, and educational staff. The findings reveal that the principal applies an integrative leadership approach by combining democratic and transformational leadership styles, supported by situational and Path–Goal leadership elements. Democratic leadership is reflected in openness to feedback, participatory decision-making, and collaborative school forums, while transformational leadership is demonstrated through vision-building, motivation, exemplary conduct, and individual professional support. Situational and Path–Goal leadership elements enable adaptive supervision, removal of work obstacles, and goal clarification based on staff readiness. This study contributes theoretically by extending leadership studies through the concept of integrative leadership in special education settings. Practically, the findings provide insights for school principals and education stakeholders in designing adaptive leadership strategies to improve the quality of educators and educational personnel in special education schools.
References
Aisyafarda, J., & Sarino, A. (2019). Gaya kepemimpinan situasional kepala sekolah dan budaya organisasi sebagai determinan kinerja guru. Jurnal Pendidikan Manajemen Perkantoran, 4(2), 228. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpm.v4i2.18018
Amsori, A., Hadiyanto, Z., Ardaini, & Kasful, A. (2025). Pengertian, teori dan tipe kepemimpinan. Jurnal Resit Multidisiplin Edukasi, 2. https://doi.org/10.71282/jurmie.v2i5.313
Berlian, S., Huda, M. T. S., & Hartono, S. (2025). Peran kepemimpinan transformasional dalam meningkatkan kinerja tim di era digital. J-CEKI: Jurnal Cendekia Ilmiah, 4(3), 460-468. https://doi.org/10.56799/jceki.v4i3.7811
Bolden, R. (2020). Leadership, complexity and distributed influence: Exploring theory and practice. Leadership, 16(2), 151–168. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715019885762
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications
DeMatthews, D. (2019). Leadership for inclusion: Supporting students with disabilities in inclusive schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1645673
Dewi, S. (2021). Determinan kepemimpinan transformasional terhadap motivasi guru SLB di Riau. Jurnal Manajemen dan Bisnis Terapan, 3(1), 32–41. https://doi.org/10.31849/jmbt.v3i1.9029
Fauzia, H. H., Rubini, B., & Sunaryo, W. (2018). Kepemimpinan situasional dan komunikasi interpersonal dalam meningkatkan komitmen guru. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.33751/jmp.v6i2.787
Gunawan, F., Fitria, H., & Fitriani, Y. (2021). Strategi kepala sekolah dalam upaya meningkatkan mutu pendidikan. Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai, 5(2), 2769–2777. https://jptam.org/index.php/jptam/article/view/1301
Gümüş, S., Bellibaş, M. Ş., Esen, M., & Gümüş, E. (2021). A systematic review of studies on leadership models in school improvement. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(1), 3–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143219876068
Giana, D. P., & Fauzan, R. A. (2025). Developing an integrated framework for managing vocational skill programs for deaf students: A case study in an inclusive junior high school in Indonesia. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pendidikan Luar Biasa (JPPPLB), 12(2), 137–146. https://journal2.um.ac.id/index.php/jppplb/article/view/63769
Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (2020). Collaborative leadership and school improvement: Understanding the impact on school capacity and student learning. School Leadership & Management, 40(5), 372–393.
Indahsari, R., Manafe, A., & Mahardhika, S. T. I. E. (2022). Peran gaya kepemimpinan Path–Goal untuk meningkatkan motivasi kerja karyawan. Jurnal Manajemen dan Bisnis, 11(1).
Khumaira, L. A., & Muhid, A. (2022). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan demokratis terhadap pemberdayaan psikologis karyawan. Dialektika: Jurnal Ekonomi dan Ilmu Sosial, 7(1), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.36636/dialektika.v7i1.763
Kurniati, C., Sudarti, S., Hariyadi, A., & Utomo, S. (2023). Gaya kepemimpinan demokratis dan visioner. Equity in Education Journal, 5.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Moleong, L. J. (2021). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif (Edisi revisi). PT Remaja Rosdakarya.
Parkkinen, J. (2025). Integrative public leadership: A systematic review. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 38(4), 426-447. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-03-2024-0093 Republik Indonesia. (1945). Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945 Pasal 31 Ayat (1). Jakarta: Sekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia.
Republik Indonesia. (2003). Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional. Jakarta: Sekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia.
Roswati, S., Vinayastri, A., & Ernawati. (2025). Evaluation of the competency improvement program for teachers of students with intellectual disabilities in reproductive health education. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pendidikan Luar Biasa (JPPPLB), 12(2), 125–136. https://journal2.um.ac.id/index.php/jppplb/article/view/63450
Sagala, S. (2020). Manajemen strategik dalam peningkatan mutu pendidikan. Alfabeta.
Satria, D., Nellitawati, Hadiyanto, & Gistituati, N. (2022). Pengaruh kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dan iklim sekolah terhadap kinerja guru di sekolah luar biasa se-Kecamatan Koto Tangah. Jurnal Bahana Manajemen Pendidikan, 11(2).
Sidiq, U., & Choiri, M. (2019). Metode penelitian kualitatif di bidang pendidikan. CV Nata Karya.
Sugiyono. (2021). Metode penelitian kualitatif, kuantitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Spillane, J. P., & Healey, K. (2022). Distributed leadership and school improvement: Empirical and conceptual developments. School Leadership & Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2022.2108912
Jantila, K., Khatrat, S., & Sirikase, B. (2023). Integrated leadership of school administrators affecting learning management of schools under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office Nakhon Ratchasima. Ratanabuth Journal, 5(1), 368–384. https://so07.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/rtnb/article/view/2662
Juharyanto, J., Bafadal, I., Lesmama, I., Mashluucha, R. A., Mutmainnah, Mustabsyiroh, N., Wulandari, P., & Shobiry, A. K. F. (2025). Hybrid transformational leadership strategy in developing the higher-order thinking skill-based learning quality in the 21st century and catastrophic anomalies. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 46, Article 460309. https://doi.org/10.34044/j.kjss.2025.46.3.09
Syafi, M., Herawati, S., Ariodutho, S., Edi, P., Rosyid, A. F., Endrawati, E. A., & Cahyono, A. S. (2023). Buku ajar kepemimpinan. PT Literasi Nusantara Abadi Grup.
Suryadi, Y. (2024). Administrasi pendidikan. Ruang Karya.
Winarno, & Suparman. (2022). Kepemimpinan empatik dalam manajemen pendidikan khusus. Jurnal Kepemimpinan Pendidikan, 7(1), 45–46.
Yunus, & Rusli, R. (2024). Sistem penjamin mutu pendidikan. CV. Adanu Abimata.
Yusuf, A. M. (2020). Metode penelitian: Kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan penelitian gabungan (Edisi revisi). Kencana.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
