Publication:

Continuous professional development for principals in light of the 21st century management in selected high schools in Aceh, Indonesia

Effective management of continuous professional development (CPD) for school principals is more critical than ever. The focus of this study was to examine the management of CPD programmes for school principals in the 21st century. In general, this study explored the practices and experiences of high school principals, senior teachers, and the officers of the Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) in Aceh, Indonesia, with regards to their contribution in advancing professional development activities at the school level. A total of 15 informants were purposively selected, comprising of six school principals, six senior teachers, and three MoEC officers. Methodologically, face-to-face interviews were conducted to deeply explore the informants’ feelings and views. The findings revealed several emerging themes related to theories and previous studies. Primarily, the informants perceived the concept of 21st century’s CPD programs as a trust (amanah), professional competence, continuous professional training, lifelong learning, a community of practice, and strategic planning. They viewed the underlying characteristics of effective 21st century’s CPD programs to be research-based and result-oriented, align with the current trends, and have significant changes in the form of systematic planning, have practical and interesting methods, and clear targets. The 21st century’s CPD programs are beneficial in terms of attitude changes, gaining new knowledge, improving a good relationship, improving self-confidence, and promoting best practices. The findings showed that the informants mainly managed the 21st century’s CPD programs through motivation and supervision, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and promoting local values. Among the challenges faced by the informants in managing the 21st century’s CPD programs were people’s resistance to change, technicality and workload, almost zero follow-ups, unprofessional recruitment, and unclear training syllabus. To effectively manage the 21st century’s CPD programs, the informants suggested doing personal approach, professional development skills, professional recruitment system, continuous training programs, and optimizing school organizations. The main contribution of the present study to the existing body of knowledge is the 21st Century AMANAH Continuous Professional Development model, developed based on the study’s findings. Finally, this study presented several implications, suggestions, and recommendations for future research.