Analysis of the Role of the School Principal in Creating a Quality Culture in the Educational Environment

Hernawati Hernawati

Authors

Hernawati Hernawati Universitas PGRI Palembang Author

Keywords:

Quality Culture, School Principal, Distributed Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Continuous Improvement.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze in depth the dual role of transformational- distributive leadership of the School Principal (SP) in high- performing schools in initiating, implementing, and sustaining the five main pillars of Quality Culture within the educational environment The research method used is a qualitative approach through a Multiple Case Study, collecting multilevel data through source triangulation (School Principals, Core Teachers/Quality Coordinators, Students, and Parents). The main findings show that the success of sustainable Quality Culture is achieved through the strategic synergy between Transformational Leadership (as the initiator of moral commitment and ethical vision) and Distributed Leadership (as the mechanism for institutionalizing teacher autonomy and applying the PDCA Cycle), where mutual trust becomes the key variable that transforms compliance into commitment. The novelty of this research lies in presenting the contextualized role model of the School Principal as a culture architect, uncovering the specific mechanisms of quality implementation (filling the research black box from previous studies), and combining two contemporary leadership models. The main practical implication is the provision of a roadmap (best practices) for School Principal Development and Empowerment Institutions (LP2KS) to revise training curricula, with an emphasis on developing Distributed Leadership skills. This study contributes theoretically by enriching the body of knowledge on educational leadership in the Southeast Asian context.

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