Principal Leadership Strategies and Parental Involvement in Elementary School Learning

Azizah Azizah; Marwan Marwan; Siraj Siraj

doi:10.56806/jh.v6i4.397

Authors

Azizah Azizah Universitas Almuslim, Matang Glumpang dua, Bireun
Marwan Marwan Universitas Almuslim, Matang Glumpang dua, Bireun
Siraj Siraj Universitas Malikussaleh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56806/jh.v6i4.397

Keywords:

parental participation, elementary education, school–parent partnership, educational management

Abstract

Parental involvement is crucial to improve the quality of learning at the primary school level, yet it is often restricted and unequal. This study investigates the tactics used by school administrators to increase family participation in the learning process, assesses the efficiency of various leadership strategies in establishing school-parent synergy, and analyses the challenges associated with increasing parental involvement. Data were obtained from elementary schools in Cluster 4, Pidie Regency, using a qualitative field study design that included observations, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. The data show that administrators have used a variety of tactics, including routine communication, family involvement in school events, and the availability of collaboration spaces. These methods are positive, but they have not yet resulted in optimal and equitable parental participation. The effectiveness of leadership methods in developing synergy between schools and parents is still in its early stages, with modest impact on long-term parental support and student learning outcomes. Low parental awareness, work-related time restrictions, a lack of knowledge of parental obligations, and poor two-way communication are all significant barriers. The study finds that increasing parental involvement necessitates more tailored, consistent, and educational leadership tactics. The findings add to the conversation about educational leadership by emphasizing the significance of contextualized principal tactics in developing school-parent partnerships at the primary level

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Arief, M. Y., Tsauri, S., Judijanto, L., Ansori, Afra, N., & Kartiko, A. (2025). Principal Leadership: Effective Strategy in Increasing Entrepreneurship Spirit in Schools. Munaddhomah: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 6(2), 281–294. https://doi.org/10.31538/MUNADDHOMAH.V6I2.1735

Barth, A., & Tsemach, S. (2025). Principals’ leadership styles as predictors of teachers’ attitude toward parental involvement. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1528796. https://doi.org/10.3389/FEDUC.2025.1528796/BIBTEX

Choi, W. C., Peng, J., Choi, I. C., Lei, H., Lam, L. C., & Chang, C. I. (2025). Improving Young Learners with Copilot: The Influence of Large Language Models (LLMs) on Cognitive Load and Self-Efficacy in K-12 Programming Education. 2025 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, ICAIE 2025, 284–288. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICAIE64856.2025.11158328

Daulay, B., Haidir, & Firmansyah. (2024). The influence of managerial competence and achievement motivation on the leadership effectiveness of high school principals. Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan, 43(2), 411–421. https://doi.org/10.21831/CP.V43I2.61912

Fitriadi, F., Sinaga, R. M., & Muhammad, R. R. (2024). A Literature Review on the Cultural Perspective Study in Elementary School Education in Indonesia. Journal of Innovation in Educational and Cultural Research, 5(1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.46843/JIECR.V5I1.848

Gioia, D. (2021). A Systematic Methodology for Doing Qualitative Research. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 57(1), 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886320982715;REQUESTEDJOURNAL:JOURNAL:JABA;WEBSITE:WEBSITE:SAGE;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION

Hornby, G., & Lafaele, R. (2023). Barriers to parental involvement in education: an explanatory model. Mapping the Field, 121–136. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003403722-11

Jeynes, W. H. (2024). A Meta-Analysis: The Relationship Between the Parental Expectations Component of Parental Involvement with Students’ Academic Achievement. Urban Education, 59(1), 63–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859211073892;SUBPAGE:STRING:FULL

Kim, S. (2022). Fifty years of parental involvement and achievement research: A second-order meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 37, 100463. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EDUREV.2022.100463

Lu, S. H., & Chen, C. C. (2025). Principals’ distributed leadership and the effectiveness of school innovation management: the mediating role of school organisational culture. Journal of Educational Administration, 63(2), 129–143. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-04-2024-0109

Ma, L., Liu, J., & Li, B. (2022). The association between teacher-student relationship and academic achievement: The moderating effect of parental involvement. Psychology in the Schools, 59(2), 281–296. https://doi.org/10.1002/PITS.22608;PAGE:STRING:ARTICLE/CHAPTER

Marwan, M., Siraj, S., & Marisa, R. (2024). Model Pendidikan Berbasis Nilai Keislaman, Pancasila, dan Kearifan Lokal dalam Mendukung Kurikulum Merdeka. Indonesian Research Journal on Education, 4(4), 122–126. https://doi.org/10.31004/IRJE.V4I4.1087

Mayger, L., & Provinzano, K. (2022). Leadership for Family and Community Engagement: A Qualitative Policy Analysis of State Principal Evaluation Processes. Educational Administration Quarterly, 58(1), 141–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X211052501

Myende, P. E., & Nhlumayo, B. S. (2022). Enhancing parent–teacher collaboration in rural schools: parents’ voices and implications for schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 25(3), 490–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2020.1731764;ISSUE:ISSUE:DOI

Nafisah, A. D., Hajar, D., Antika, W., Latiana, L., Formen, A., & Correspondingauthor, Y. M. (2022). Principal’s Leadership on “Sekolah Penggerak” Effectiveness in Improving the Quality of Education. Attractive?: Innovative Education Journal, 4(2), 320–328. https://doi.org/10.51278/AJ.V4I2.456

Permatasari, D. A., Ysh, A. S., Ayu, N., & Murniati, N. (2025). THE PRINCIPAL’S STRATEGY IN IMPROVING POSITIVE CULTURE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SDN KALIREJO 02. SOSIOEDUKASI?: JURNAL ILMIAH ILMU PENDIDIKAN DAN SOSIAL, 14(4), 3830–3841. https://doi.org/10.36526/SOSIOEDUKASI.V14I4.6657

Sengonul, T. (2022). A Review of the Relationship between Parental Involvement and Children’s Academic Achievement and the Role of Family Socioeconomic Status in This Relationship. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 12(2), 32–57. https://doi.org/10.47750/pegegog.12.02.04

Siraj, S., Dabet, A., Yusuf, M., Safriwardy, F., Marwan, M., Marsithah, I., & Maulida, M. H. (2022). PENGUATAN KETERAMPILAN GURU DALAM MERANCANG E-MODUL PEMBELAJARAN PADA SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEJURUAN NEGERI 4 KOTA LHOKSEUMAWE. Jurnal Vokasi, 6(2), 158–162. https://doi.org/10.30811/VOKASI.V6I2.3061

Sri Ratna Dewi, N. P., Eka Susanti, N. L., & Citra Wibawa, I. M. (2024). Elementary School Character Education Challenges: The Evaluation of an Independent Curriculum in Indonesia. Journal of Computational Analysis & Applications, 33(2), 629. https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/gcd:183959166?sid=ebsco:plink:crawler&id=ebsco:gcd:183959166

Wilder, S. (2023). Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: a meta-synthesis. Mapping the Field, 137–157. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003403722-12

Yulianti, K., Denessen, E., Droop, M., & Veerman, G. J. (2022). School efforts to promote parental involvement: the contributions of school leaders and teachers. Educational Studies, 48(1), 98–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1740978;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION