Competency of Malaysian Principals Based on Personal Qualities, Knowledge Skills and Practices in Managing School

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the competency of secondary school principals in certain management areas such as curriculum, co-curriculum, student affairs, financial, office administration, human resource, community relationships, school environment and infrastructure based on several elements in competency namely their personal qualities, knowledge, skills and practices. In addition, the study seeks to determine the means and ways as well as practices and how school principals utilise their skills in pursuing their direction of work towards achieving stated school objectives. This research is based on the framework of namely the Standard Kompetensi Kepengetuaan Sekolah Malaysia (The Malaysian School Head Competency Standards) and the National Standards for Principal in Wales. The survey was administered by distributing questionnaires to the respondents which consisted of 314 school principals, 720 senior assistants and 611 heads of department. Besides, 14 interviews were being carried out with the aim of justifying quantitative findings of the study as well as to explain practices and actions taken in each management areas. Descriptive statistics was utilised in analyzing quantitative data, whereas qualitative data was manually analyzed. Results showed that Malaysian school principals were graded as highly competent in all areas. Outcomes of qualitative data analysis shows that it supports the findings of quantitative data. However study found that principal need support from internal school community as well as external school community in order to manage school effect.