Principal Managerial Leadership in Managing Professional Learning Communities in Elementary Schools

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33650/al-tanzim.v10i1.12443

Authors (s)


(1) * Tumiyati Tumiyati   (Universitas Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia Semarang)  
        Indonesia
(2)  Nurkolis Nurkolis   (Universitas Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia Semarang)  
        Indonesia
(3)  Lilik Ariyanto   (Universitas Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia Semarang)  
        Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


This study examines the critical role of principals in managing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to enhance teacher professional development and improve the quality of education in elementary schools. This study used a qualitative case study approach, with data collected through interviews, observation, and documentation. The results indicate that principals play a dynamic managerial role in the success of PLCs through comprehensive management functions, including planning, organizing, mobilizing, and controlling (POAC). Specifically, principals conduct in-depth needs analyses based on educational data, strategically plan and organize resources, and actively engage teachers in collaborative activities that foster a culture of participatory learning. Furthermore, regular reflection and data-driven evaluation ensure that the learning community remains aligned with school goals, leading to measurable improvements in teaching practices and student learning outcomes. This study highlights the importance of principal leadership in overcoming challenges such as resistance to change and limited integration of digital platforms. This study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the importance of principals’ managerial skills in effectively managing PLCs to achieve sustainable education reform. Practical implications suggest that principals need to focus on data-driven planning, resource optimization, and ongoing teacher engagement to strengthen PLCs in schools.

Keywords

Professional Learning Community, Leadership, Teacher Professional Development



Full Text: PDF



References


Ahn, J., J. Flores, O., D. Welton, A., & Hackmann, D. G. (2025). Challenges in Sustaining Professional Learning Communities Focused on Equity. Journal of Educational Change, 26(1), 57–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-024-09511-2

Altınok, V. (2024). The Effect of Supervision in Education on Teacher Quality and Performance. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 11(3), 230–246. https://doi.org/10.52380/ijpes.2024.11.3.1317

Asni, A. (2025). The Role of POAC Management Functions in Enhancing the Quality of Counseling Guidance Services for Students in Schools in Indonesia. Jurnal Konseling Dan Pendidikan, 13(1), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.29210/1138100

Baco, A., Tunggal, A., Prasetyo, T., Warman, W., & Fitriadi, A. (2025). Manajemen Program Komunitas Belajar Sekolah untuk Peningkatan Kompetensi Pedagogik Guru di SMP Negeri 1 Biatan. Jurnal Indragiri Penelitian Multidisiplin, 5(1), 86–91. https://doi.org/10.58707/jipm.v5i1.1140

Beveridge, ‘Alim J, & Höllerer, M. A. (2023). Theorizing Organizational Benevolence. Organization Science, 34(5), 1864–1886. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1646

Botvin, M., Hershkovitz, A., & Forkosh-Baruch, A. (2023). Data-Driven Decision-Making in Emergency Remote Teaching. Education and Information Technologies, 28(1), 489–506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11176-4

Cai, Y., Wang, L., Bi, Y., & Tang, R. (2022). How Can the Professional Community Influence Teachers’ Work Engagement? The Mediating Role of Teacher Self-Efficacy. Sustainability, 14(16), 10029. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610029

Chasokela, D. (2025). Qualitative Methodologies to Understanding Research. In Qualitative Approaches to Pedagogical Engineering (pp. 321–340). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-6021-7.ch013

Elugbaju, W. K., Okeke, N. I., & Alabi, O. A. (2024). Human Resource Analytics as a Strategic Tool for Workforce Planning and Succession Management. International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, 20(11), 744–756.

Ertsås, T. I., & Irgens, E. J. (2023). Developing Organizational Knowledge in Schools: The Role of Theory and Theorizing in Collective Capacity Building. Journal of Educational Change, 24(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-021-09433-3

Galdames-Calderón, M. (2023). Distributed Leadership: School Principals’ Practices to Promote Teachers’ Professional Development for School Improvement. Education Sciences, 13(7), 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070715

Grimm, F. (2024). Teacher Leadership for Teaching Improvement in Professional Learning Communities. Professional Development in Education, 50(6), 1135–1147. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2023.2264286

Hartono, D., Aliyah, H., Safitri, O., & Ciputri, O. (2023). Analysis of the Implementation of the Management Planning, Organizing, Actuating, Controlling in BES PPJA (Case Study of the Santri Executive Board of the Jagad ‘Alimussirry). Journal Intellectual Sufism Research (JISR), 6(1), 12–28. https://doi.org/10.52032/jisr.v6i1.156

Hudson, C. (2024). A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Effective Professional Learning Community (PLC) Operation in Schools. Journal of Education, 204(3), 649–659. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574231197364

Ikhsan, K. N. U. R. (2023). Manajemen Strategis untuk Meningkatkan Mutu Pendidikan. Penerbit P4I.

Ivey, G. (2023). Interpreting Hidden Meaning in Qualitative Research Interview Data: Opportunities and Challenges. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 20(1), 21–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2022.2067509

Jeka, F., & Indriyani, T. (2024). Penerapan Fungsi-Fungsi Manajemen dalam Pengembangan Lembaga Pendidikan Islam. Jurnal Genta Mulia, 15(1), 189–197.

Kaspi, S., & Venkatraman, S. (2023). Data-Driven Decision-Making (DDDM) for Higher Education Assessments: A Case Study. Systems, 11(6), 306. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11060306

Khasawneh, Y. J. A., Alsarayreh, R., Al Ajlouni, A. A., Eyadat, H. M., Ayasrah, M. N., & Khasawneh, M. A. S. (2023). An Examination of Teacher Collaboration in Professional Learning Communities and Collaborative Teaching Practices. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 10(3), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.20448/jeelr.v10i3.4841

Lash, C. L., Burton, A. S., & Usinger, J. (2024). Developing Learning Leaders: How Modeling PLC Culture in Principal Preparation Can Shift the Leadership Views of Aspiring Administrators. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 19(2), 167–195. https://doi.org/10.1177/19427751231170898

Lee, D. H. L., & Ip, N. K. K. (2023). The Influence of Professional Learning Communities on Informal Teacher Leadership in a Chinese Hierarchical School Context. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(2), 324–344. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220985159

Li, J.-J., Zhang, B.-L., & Tan, J.-H. (2023). Factors Influencing College Students’ Learning Engagement in an Online Learning Community. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 51(12), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.12678

Lim, W. M. (2025). What Is Qualitative Research? An Overview and Guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 33(2), 199–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264619

Liu, S., & Hallinger, P. (2024). The Effects of Instructional Leadership, Teacher Responsibility and Procedural Justice Climate on Professional Learning Communities: A Cross-Level Moderated Mediation Examination. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(3), 556–575. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221089185

Liu, S., & Yin, H. (2023). How Ethical Leadership Influences Professional Learning Communities via Teacher Obligation and Participation in Decision Making: A Moderated-Mediation Analysis. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(2), 345–364. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220975766

Machost, H., & Stains, M. (2023). Reflective Practices in Education: A Primer for Practitioners. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 22(2), es2. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.22-07-0148

Ming, G. K., Mansor, M., & Fuad, D. R. S. M. (2024). Data-Driven Decision-Making in Educational Leadership: A Systematic Literature Review (2019–2023). Pakistan Journal of Life & Social Sciences, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.2.001383

Mockler, N., & Stacey, M. (2024). Outsourced Curriculum Planning to Reduce Teacher Workload: Tracing the Evolution of a Policy Solution. Curriculum Perspectives, 44(4), 567–571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-024-00280-9

Ni, L., Bausch, G., & Benjamin, R. (2023). Computer Science Teacher Professional Development and Professional Learning Communities: A Review of the Research Literature. Computer Science Education, 33(1), 29–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/08993408.2021.1993666

Rabelo, A., Rodrigues, M. W., Nobre, C., Isotani, S., & Zárate, L. (2024). Educational Data Mining and Learning Analytics: A Review of Educational Management in E-Learning. Information Discovery and Delivery, 52(2), 149–163. https://doi.org/10.1108/IDD-10-2022-0099

Safitra, M. F., Lubis, M., & Fakhrurroja, H. (2023). Counterattacking Cyber Threats: A Framework for the Future of Cybersecurity. Sustainability, 15(18), 13369. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813369

Sarıkaya, S. (2023). Effectiveness of a Data-Based Decision-Making Professional Learning Community for Physical Education Teachers and Its Impact on Students’ Knowledge and Physical Activity Level. Middle East Technical University (Turkey).

Setyasari, G. E., Sutopo, A., & Fuadi, D. (2025). Pengelolaan Komunitas Belajar Guru: Tantangan dan Peluang dalam Peningkatan Profesionalisme. Didaktika: Jurnal Kependidikan, 14(2 Mei), 2121–2130.

Sholeh, M., Winarso, W., Abdullah, Z., & Ulfa, F. D. (2023). The Role of Principal on Teacher Professional Learning Communities. International Joint Conference on Arts and Humanities 2023 (IJCAH 2023), 1186–1193. Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-152-4_121

Stacey, M., McGrath-Champ, S., & Wilson, R. (2023). Teacher Attributions of Workload Increase in Public Sector Schools: Reflections on Change and Policy Development. Journal of Educational Change, 24(4), 971–993. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09476-0

Sujatmiko, H. (2023). Professional Learning Community di Sekolah Berasrama: Sebuah Naratif Otobiografi. Education Transformation: Jurnal Ilmiah Insan Pendidikan, 1(1).

To, K. H., Yin, H., Tam, W. W. Y., & Keung, C. P. C. (2023). Principal Leadership Practices, Professional Learning Communities, and Teacher Commitment in Hong Kong Kindergartens: A Multilevel SEM Analysis. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(4), 889–911. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211015227

Yu, T.-K., & Chao, C.-M. (2023). Encouraging Teacher Participation in Professional Learning Communities: Exploring the Facilitating or Restricting Factors That Influence Collaborative Activities. Education and Information Technologies, 28(5), 5779–5804. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11376-y

Zamiri, M., & Esmaeili, A. (2024). Methods and Technologies for Supporting Knowledge Sharing within Learning Communities: A Systematic Literature Review. Administrative Sciences, 14(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14010017

Zhang, J., Yin, H., & Wang, T. (2023). Exploring the Effects of Professional Learning Communities on Teacher’s Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction in Shanghai, China. Educational Studies, 49(1), 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1834357


Dimensions, PlumX, and Google Scholar Metrics

10.33650/al-tanzim.v10i1.12443


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Tumiyati, Nurkolis, Lilik Ariyanto

Creative Commons License
 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Al-Tanzim : Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam
Published by Lembaga Penerbitan, Penelitian, dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LP3M) of Nurul Jadid University, Paiton, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia.