Culturally Responsive Leadership in Malaysian Small Schools Context: A Preliminary Survey (Kepimpinan Responsif Budaya dalam Konteks Sekolah Kecil Malaysia: Tinjauan Awal)

Mohd Norlizam Mohd Razali, Aida Hanim A. Hamid

Abstract


Principals and headteachers are leaders in schools. Various past studies showed that the leadership of school leaders may influence students' achievement. These past studies demonstrated that the leaderships of school leaders also influence the actions and achievements of the teachers in schools. Thus, as stated in the fifth Malaysia Education Development Plan 2013-2025 (MOE, 2012), the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) decided to place high-performing leaders in schools. This study discussed culturally responsive leadership. It examined the background, culturally related issues in Malaysia, and dimensions of culturally responsive leadership in the small school context in Malaysia based on past studies in external and domestic contexts related to culturally responsive leadership. This study was a preliminary survey that aimed at confirming the appropriateness of the dimensions found in the culturally responsive leadership framework introduced by Khalifa, Gooden, and Davis (2016) derived from the literature review. The data for this study was collected using semi-structured interviews involving two headteachers and two teachers from small schools. The findings from the interview were analysed and discussed further in this study, with the support of secondary data. In conclusion, the dimensions found in this framework are suitable as culturally responsive leadership practices in Malaysia and to be used as a basis in the implementation of further studies related to culturally responsive leadership in small schools in Malaysia.

Keywords: Leadership; Culturally Responsive; Small School; Teachers; Head teacher

Abstrak

Pengetua dan guru besar adalah pemimpin di sekolah. Pelbagai kajian lepas menunjukkan kepimpinan pemimpin sekolah boleh mempengaruhi pencapaian pelajar. Kajian-kajian lepas ini menunjukkan bahawa kepimpinan pemimpin sekolah turut mempengaruhi tindakan dan pencapaian guru di sekolah. Justeru, seperti yang dinyatakan dalam Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia kelima 2013-2025 (KPM, 2012), Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) memutuskan untuk menempatkan pemimpin berprestasi tinggi di sekolah. Kajian ini membincangkan kepimpinan responsif budaya. Ia mengkaji latar belakang, isu berkaitan budaya di Malaysia, dan dimensi kepimpinan responsif budaya dalam konteks sekolah kecil di Malaysia berdasarkan kajian lepas dalam konteks luar dan domestik yang berkaitan dengan kepimpinan responsif budaya. Kajian ini merupakan tinjauan awal yang bertujuan untuk mengesahkan kesesuaian dimensi yang terdapat dalam rangka kerja kepimpinan responsif budaya yang diperkenalkan oleh Khalifa, Gooden, dan Davis (2016) yang diperoleh daripada tinjauan literatur. Data kajian ini dikumpul menggunakan temu bual separa berstruktur yang melibatkan dua orang guru besar dan dua orang guru dari Sekolah Kurang Murid. Dapatan daripada temu bual dianalisis dan dibincangkan dengan lebih lanjut dalam kajian ini, dengan sokongan data sekunder. Kesimpulannya, dimensi yang terdapat dalam rangka kerja ini sesuai sebagai amalan kepimpinan responsif budaya di Malaysia dan dijadikan asas dalam pelaksanaan kajian lanjutan berkaitan kepimpinan responsif budaya di sekolah kecil di Malaysia.

Kata Kunci: Kepimpinan; Responsif Budaya; Sekolah Kurang Murid; Guru; Guru Besar


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