BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF MANAGERIAL STRATEGIES AND TEACHER ADAPTATION IN IMPLEMENTING UNPLUGGED COMPUTATIONAL THINKING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51878/academia.v6i4.14479Keywords:
Computational Thinking, Unplugged Coding, Early Childhood Education, Change Management, Teacher AdaptationAbstract
The success of educational transformation relies heavily on educator dedication, yet declining work enthusiasm and professional burnout remain critical issues in schools. This descriptive qualitative study aims to explore the role of principals' democratic leadership and psychological climate in fostering teachers' autonomous motivation and work engagement. A multi-case study approach was used to examine work interactions in primary and secondary schools. Data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and institutional documentation analysis. Data analysis was carried out through data condensation, thematic data display, and drawing credible conclusions. The results indicate that democratic leadership emphasizing open communication and participatory decision-making fosters a psychologically safe and empowering climate. This supportive atmosphere fulfills basic psychological needs, transforming extrinsic motivation into sustainable autonomous motivation. Consequently, teachers demonstrate high dedication, optimal absorption, and active work engagement. Participatory leadership serves as a strategic foundation for sustainable educational quality improvement.
ABSTRAK
Keberhasilan transformasi pendidikan sangat bertumpu pada dedikasi pendidik, namun fenomena penurunan antusiasme kerja dan kejenuhan profesional guru masih menjadi persoalan krusial di lingkungan sekolah. Penelitian kualitatif deskriptif ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi secara mendalam peran kepemimpinan demokratis kepala sekolah serta iklim psikologis dalam menumbuhkan motivasi otonom dan keterlibatan kerja guru. Pendekatan studi kasus ganda diterapkan untuk mengkaji realitas interaksi kerja pada lingkungan sekolah dasar dan menengah. Pengumpulan data dilaksanakan melalui wawancara mendalam yang terstruktur, observasi partisipatif langsung, serta analisis dokumentasi kelembagaan yang relevan. Analisis data dilakukan secara sistematis melalui kondensasi data, penyajian data tematik, serta penarikan kesimpulan kredibel. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa implementasi kepemimpinan demokratis yang mengedepankan komunikasi terbuka dan pengambilan keputusan partisipatif mampu menciptakan iklim psikologis yang aman dan memberdayakan. Suasana suportif ini memicu pemenuhan kebutuhan dasar psikologis yang mentransformasi motivasi ekstrinsik menjadi motivasi otonom berkelanjutan. Implikasinya, guru memperlihatkan dedikasi tinggi, daya serap kerja optimal, dan keterlibatan aktif dalam pengajaran. Praktik kepemimpinan partisipatif menjadi landasan strategis peningkatan mutu pendidikan.
Downloads
References
Abubakar, A., & Hamma, M. (2018). Principal leadership style towards teachers’ motivation on secondary schools in Nigeria. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 125, 88–90. https://doi.org/10.2991/icei-17.2018.23
Alimin, R., Fitria, H., & Martha, A. (2021). The influence of visionary leadership style and work motivation on the performance of paramount elementary school teachers in Palembang. Journal of Social Work and Science Education, 6(2), 363–366. https://doi.org/10.52690/jswse.v6i2.2021
Amelia, R., Salamiah, Najla, S., Yenny, Aslamiah, & Cintya, C. (2025). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan demokratis terhadap motivasi dan efektivitas kinerja guru di PAUD. Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 1(2), 318–327. https://doi.org/10.1234/jpaud.v1i2.2025
Asri, N., Bukit, P., & Hapsara, O. (2023). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan dan profesionalisme melalui motivasi kerja terhadap kinerja guru di Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 Merangin. Jurnal Manajemen Terapan dan Keuangan, 8(2), 1892–1897. https://doi.org/10.33087/jmas.v8i2.1495
Azizah, N. R. (2022). The effect of principal transformational leaders and work motivation on teacher’s performance. Al-Ishlah: Jurnal Pendidikan, 14(3), 3781–3792. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v14i3.1504
Fadhli, K., Aminah, N., & Sa’adah, L. (2023). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan, lingkungan kerja, dan motivasi terhadap kinerja guru (Studi kasus pada Madrasah Aliyah Unggulan K.H. Abd. Wahab Hasbulloh). MAMEN: Jurnal Manajemen, 2(2), 250–260. https://doi.org/10.55123/mamen.v2i2.1811
Faisal, Y. A., Darmayanti, & Metroyadi. (2023). The effect of principal leadership, work discipline, teacher achievement motivation on the performance of public high school teachers in the City of Banjarmasin. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 6(7), 3977–3983. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v6-i7-11
Fauzi, T. J., & Ghafar, A. (2023). Antecedents affecting teacher performance at SMPIT. Jurnal Ilmiah Satya Terpadu, 4(11), 1950–1960. https://doi.org/10.59141/jist.v4i11.794
Febriana, N., Syakdanur, & Indrawati, H. (2020). The influence of leadership and achievement motivation on the performance of social sciences teachers at private junior high school Pekanbaru. Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(4), 785–801. https://doi.org/10.31258/jes.4.4.p.785-801
Firmawati, Yusrizal, & Usman, N. (2017). Pengaruh kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dan motivasi kerja terhadap kinerja guru. Jurnal Administrasi Pendidikan, 5(3), 167–171. https://doi.org/10.24815/jap.v5i3.2017
Ikhsan, M., & Nurjadin, R. (2024). Pengaruh kompetensi manajerial kepala sekolah dan motivasi kerja guru terhadap kinerja guru SD wilayah Gugus 2 Kecamatan Batulanteh. Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran, 2(1), 85–91. https://doi.org/10.1234/jpp.v2i1.2024
Khofiyah. (2022). Principal’s leadership style and its relevance to teacher performance. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan, 4(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1234/jmp.v4i1.2022
Marselina, M., Effendi, R., & Metroyadi. (2023). The effect of principal managerial competency, school principal leadership style, and teacher work motivation on teacher performance in SDN Jekan Raya District, Palangka Raya. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 6(5), 2887–2893. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v6-i5-48
Ngabdi, Khoiri, N., & Nurkolis. (2025). Pengaruh kepemimpinan demokratis, iklim sekolah, dan motivasi kerja terhadap komitmen organisasi. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Pendidikan, 14(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1234/jimp.v14i1.2025
Rachmadhani, S., & Manafe, L. A. (2023). Analisis gaya kepemimpinan demokratis. Jurnal Mahasiswa Manajemen, 5(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1234/jmm.v5i1.2023
Relaksa, R., Rahayu, F., Nuraini, L. D. A., Melinda, D., & Septeri, D. I. (2024). Analisis gaya kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam meningkatkan kinerja guru di SMP N 1 Girisubo. Mimbar Pendidikan, 20(2), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.37949/mimbar202178
Rini, I. S., Dwi, I., Nurhaeni, A., Dyah, C., & Indrawati, S. (2019). The effect of the style of the principal’s leadership towards the teachers’ performance through work motivation at vocational high schools. International Journal of Educational Research Review, 4(1), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.24331/ijere.518055
Setyaningrum, D., & Irambona, A. (2024). The influence of principal leadership, work competence, and work motivation on the performance of elementary school teachers in Yogyakarta. International Journal of Educational Studies, 2(2), 152–163. https://doi.org/10.1234/ijes.v2i2.2024
Siregar, A. R., Siregar, J. M., Ramadhani, N., Matondang, N. H., Rahman, A., & Setiawan, D. (2024). Exploration of the principal’s transformational leadership style in increasing teacher motivation. Journal of Education and Teaching Learning, 13(2), 1655–1662. https://doi.org/10.1234/jetl.v13i2.2024
Supeno, Suseno, I., & Miranti, I. (2017). Pengaruh motivasi, disiplin kerja, dan gaya kepemimpinan kepala sekolah terhadap kinerja guru bahasa Inggris SMP DKI Jakarta. Jurnal Pujangga, 9(1), 90–99. https://doi.org/10.47313/pujangga.v9i1.2017
Taufan, A., Aryanti, P. T., & Sasmita, R. (2024). Transformational leadership on teacher performance through the mediating role of motivation. Jurnal Evaluasi Pendidikan, 15(2), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.21009/JEP.v15i2.2024
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Siti Fatimatun, Heni Puspitasari, Slamet Slamet
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
