Visionary Leadership of School Principals in the Digitalization Era: A Case Study of Cluster V Schools in Panawangan District, Ciamis Regency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55927/jeda.v5i2.7Keywords:
Visionary Leadership, Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), School Principal.Abstract
Digital transformation in primary schools is often constrained by infrastructure gaps and unpreparedness of human resources. The low adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and obstacles to teachers' digital competence are the main challenges in today's education transformation. This study aims to analyze the role of visionary leadership of school principals in the digitalization era in four dimensions: as designers, problem solvers, role models, and strategies in optimizing training and technology integration for educators in Cluster 5 of Panawangan District, Ciamis Regency. The research method uses a descriptive qualitative approach through case studies. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation studies. Qualitative data analysis techniques include data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawn. The results of the study show that: (1) As designers, school principals build a digital ecosystem through a shared vision and coding curriculum system; (2) As a problem solver, school principals implement the Identification-Reflection-Improvement (IRB) cycle based on Education Report data to proactively overcome infrastructure and budget constraints; (3) As a model, the principal positions himself as a first learner who inspires teachers through technical examples; (4) The AI integration strategy and peer coaching training "Digital Tuesday" has proven to be effective in overcoming low technology adoption and reducing the administrative burden of teachers by up to 50%. The conclusion of the study confirms that the effectiveness of visionary leadership is determined by the ability of the principal to align the organization's "software" (vision, systems, culture) with the technological potential of the future.
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