Analysis of Factors Causing Teachers to Be Reluctant to Become Principals in Elementary Schools
Abstract
Purpose of the study: This study aims to identify and analyze the factors that cause teachers to be reluctant to accept the position of principal.
Methodology: The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design involving six teachers at an elementary school in Musi Rawas. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews, non-participant observations, and document analysis. Analysis followed the Miles and Huberman interactive model, encompassing data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. Data validity was ensured through triangulation of sources.
Main Findings: The results of the study show that internal factors such as low self-confidence, time constraints, and lack of managerial experience, as well as external factors such as administrative burden, low institutional support, and an organizational culture that is not yet conducive, are the main obstacles for teachers in accepting the position of principal. Teachers also revealed that lack of role models and unclear career progression pathways became psychological barriers that affected their leadership interest.
Novelty/Originality of this study: This study contributes original insights by uncovering teacher decision-making patterns in declining principal positions within rural elementary schools. It also proposes strategic, context-specific interventions to enhance teachers’ leadership readiness and support their transition into school management roles.
References
C. Tan, C. Dimmock, and A. Walker, “How school leadership practices relate to student outcomes: Insights from a three-level meta-analysis,” Educ. Manag. Adm. Leadersh., vol. 52, pp. 6–27, 2021, doi: 10.1177/17411432211061445.
J. Pardosi and T. I. Utari, “Effective principal leadership behaviors to improve the teacher performance and the student achievement,” F1000Research, vol. 10, 2021, doi: 10.12688/f1000research.51549.2.
V. M. J. Robinson and E.-S. Gray, “What difference does school leadership make to student outcomes?,” J. R. Soc. N. Z., vol. 49, pp. 171–187, 2019, doi: 10.1080/03036758.2019.1582075.
I. M. Sholihah, “The role of the school principal as a learning leader in strengthening the professionalism of batik Surakarta Junior High School,” Int. J. Res. Educ., 2024, doi: 10.26877/ijre.v4i1.16791.
S. Atstsaury, H. Hadiyanto, and S. Supian, “Principal’s strategy to improve teachers professional competence,” Munaddhomah J. Manaj. Pendidik. Islam, 2023, doi: 10.31538/munaddhomah.v5i1.775.
S. Sasmita and S. Subhanadri, “Upaya kepala sekolah dalam meningkatkan profesionalisme guru di sekolah dasar negeri 213 Lubuk Beringin [The principal's efforts to improve teacher professionalism at public elementary school 213 Lubuk Beringin],” J. Muara Olahraga, 2024, doi: 10.52060/jmo.v6i2.2261.
E. Affrilian, “Peran kepala sekolah dalam melaksanakan fungsi manajerial untuk meningkatkan mutu sekolah di SMP Islam YPI 3 Way Jepa [The role of the principal in carrying out managerial functions to improve school quality at YPI 3 Way Jepa Islamic Middle School],” J. Hum. Dan Ilmu Pendidik., 2023, doi: 10.35912/jahidik.v2i2.284.
A. Aisfebrianty, S. Habibah, and S. Mus, “Fungsi manajerial kepala sekolah dalam meningkatkan kualitas layanan akademik di sekolah dasar [The principal's managerial function in improving the quality of academic services in elementary schools],” EDUSTUDENT J. Ilm. Pendidik. Dan Pembelajaran, 2023, doi: 10.26858/edustudent.v2i3.39147.
B. Berkat, S. Setinawati, and B. Basrowi, “The role of educational management in enhancing innovation and problem-solving competencies for students towards global competitiveness: A literature review,” Soc. Sci. Humanit. Open, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101280.
A. Dawam, “Peran kepala sekolah inovator dalam meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran guru (Studi kasus pada madrasah aliyah manbaul ulum Tlogorejo, Karangawen, Demak) [The role of the innovator principal in improving the quality of teacher learning (Case study at Madrasah Aliyah Manbaul Ulum Tlogorejo, Karangawen, Demak)],” Edunity Kaji. Ilmu Sos. Dan Pendidik., 2024, doi: 10.57096/edunity.v3i8.280.
N. Pipin, “Pengaruh supervisi akademik kepala sekolah terhadap kinerja guru di Smp Islam Nashihuddin Kemiling [The influence of the principal's academic supervision on teacher performance at Nashihuddin Kemiling Islamic Middle School],” 2024, UIN RADEN INTAN LAMPUNG.
F. Hidayat, N. Nurkolis, and R. Rasiman, “Minat guru menjadi kepala sekolah di kabupaten Kudus [Teachers' interest in becoming school principals in Kudus district],” Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan (JMP), vol. 5, no. 3, 2016.
Y. Ruyadi, “Model of character education based on local cultural wisdom (Research on indigenous peoples of the kerep village in Cirebon, West Java Province for the Development of Character Education in Schools).,” Bandung: In International Conference on Teacher Education, 2010, pp. 576–594.
C. S. A. Jabar, I. Khuzaimi, and D. E. Andriani, “Menarikkah jabatan kepala sekolah dasar di indonesia dalam pandangan guru? [Is the position of elementary school principal in Indonesia attractive from the teacher's perspective?],” J. Manaj. Pendidik. J. Ilm. Adm. Manaj. Dan Kepemimp. Pendidik., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 99–121, 2020, doi: 10.21831/jump.v2i1.31051.
Z. Fanani, “Persepsi guru terhadap kepemimpinan pembelajaran kepala sekolah dilihat dari perbedaan gender di Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan [Teachers' perceptions of the principal's instructional leadership as seen from gender differences in South Kalimantan Province],” J. Kewidyaiswaraan, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 182–192, 2019, doi: 10.56971/jwi.v4i2.23.
V. A. Lambert and C. E. Lambert, “Qualitative descriptive research: An acceptable design,” Pac. Rim Int. J. Nurs. Res., vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 255–256, 2012.
M. Sandelowski, “Whatever happened to qualitative description?,” Res. Nurs. Health, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 334–340, 2000, doi: 10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G.
M. B. Miles, A. M. Huberman, and J. Saldana, Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook, 4th ed. Sage Publications, 2020.
R. E. R. dan T. Diamantes, “Analisis tugas yang dilakukan dalam administrasi sekolah menengah [Analysis of tasks performed in secondary school administration].,” Pendidik. 3-13, vol. 124.
J. Shen, V. E. Cooley, and G. L. Wegenke, “Perspectives on factors influencing application for the principalship: a comparative study of teachers, principals and superintendents,” Int. J. Leadersh. Educ., vol. 7, pp. 57–70, 2004, doi: 10.1080/1360312032000107218.
F. O. Okoye and C. A. Ogwurumba, “Principals’ administrative strategies and teachers job performance in public secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria,” Asian J. Educ. Soc. Stud., 2023, doi: 10.9734/ajess/2023/v45i2977.
J. Pardosi and T. I. Utari, “Effective principal leadership behaviors to improve the teacher performance and the student achievement,” F1000Research, vol. 10, 2021, doi: 10.12688/f1000research.51549.2.
T. Pozo-Rico, R. Gilar-Corbí, A. Izquierdo, and J. Castejón, “Teacher training can make a difference: Tools to overcome the impact of COVID-19 on Primary Schools. An Experimental Study,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health, vol. 17, Nov. 2020, doi: 10.3390/ijerph17228633.
M. Senkbeil, “ICT-related variables as predictors of ICT literacy beyond intelligence and prior achievement,” Educ. Inf. Technol., vol. 27, pp. 3595–3622, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.1007/s10639-021-10759-x.
X. Wang et al., “The role of E-leadership in ICT utilization: A project management perspective,” Inf. Technol. Manag., vol. 24, pp. 99–113, Feb. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s10799-021-00354-4.
M. Yngve, E. Ekbladh, H. Lidström, and H. Hemmingsson, “Information and communication technology to improve school participation among upper secondary school students with special educational needs,” Scand. J. Occup. Ther., vol. 30, pp. 311–321, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.1080/11038128.2021.1998610.
J. Zhu and M. Mok, “Predictors of students’ participation in internet or computer tutoring for additional instruction and its effect on academic achievement,” J Comput Assist Learn, vol. 36, pp. 729–740, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.1111/jcal.12440.
K. M. M. Pardinas and A. U. Cubillas, “Technological and interpersonal skills of paternal leadership of school heads in public elementary schools: a teacher’s perspective,” Int. J. Sci. Res. Publ., 2024, doi: 10.29322/ijsrp.14.05.2024.p14921.
M. Poláková, J. H. Suleimanová, P. Madzík, L. Copuš, I. Molnárová, and J. Polednová, “Soft skills and their importance in the labour market under the conditions of Industry 5.0,” Heliyon, vol. 9, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18670.
S. Auliana, A. S. Supriyanto, and S. Harini, “Understanding teacher performance through leadership role, work environment, and work motivation,” Manag. J. Manaj. Pendidik. Islam, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.14421/manageria.2021.62-10.
L. A. A. Ballesteros, F. A. Esquivel, S. E. R. Moreno, S. J. A. García, and M. A. R. Cerrillo, “Motivation and leadership in higher education,” Rev. Caribeña Cienc. Soc., Sep. 2023, doi: 10.55905/rcssv12n5-002.
S. M. A. S. Bukhari, S. G. Jamali, A. R. Larik, and M. S. Chang, “Fostering intrinsic motivation among teachers: Importance of work environment and individual differences,” Int. J. Sch. Educ. Psychol., vol. 11, pp. 1–19, May 2021, doi: 10.1080/21683603.2021.1925182.
R. Collie, “Teachers’ work motivation: Examining perceived leadership practices and salient outcomes,” Teach. Teach. Educ., Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104348.
G. Dwiyono, P. Purnomo, E. Sutadji, and M. Devi, “The investigation of the influence of leadership, work environment, and motivation on teacher performance on the quality of vocational school education,” Evol. Stud. IMAGINATIVE Cult., Oct. 2024, doi: 10.70082/esiculture.vi.1543.
M. H. Hakim, D. Hananto, B. Ruslan, and M. Mulyati, “Job satisfaction and teacher performance: The role of transformational leadership, work environment, motivation,” Proc. 2nd Lekantara Annu. Conf. Public Adm. Lit. Soc. Sci. Humanit. Educ. LePALISSHE 2022 29 Oct. 2022 Malang East Java Indones., Jan. 2023, doi: 10.4108/eai.29-10-2022.2334033.
G. Aureo and J. Baguio, “Reckoning the impression of structural culture on job presentation of teachers in public elementary schools,” Asian J. Educ. Soc. Stud., Apr. 2025, doi: 10.9734/ajess/2025/v51i51911.
M. G. Cabasan and J. Baguio, “Structural culture viewpoint of school heads and direction practices of teachers in public elementary schools,” Asian J. Educ. Soc. Stud., Apr. 2025, doi: 10.9734/ajess/2025/v51i51894.
I. García-Martínez, M. Montenegro-Rueda, E. Molina-Fernández, and J. Fernández-Batanero, “Mapping teacher collaboration for school success,” Sch. Eff. Sch. Improv., vol. 32, pp. 631–649, May 2021, doi: 10.1080/09243453.2021.1925700.
D. Hermawan and M. K. Aswan, “The role of collaborative work culture in enhancing teacher effectiveness in SMK Negeri 1 Pabelan,” Int. J. Econ. Bus. Manag. Account. IJEBMA, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.59890/ijebma.v7i1.2840.
S. D. Hayes, “Relational Mentoring for Developing Novice Principals as Leaders of Learning,” pp. 97–113, 2020, doi: 10.1002/9781119142973.ch7.
C. Meredith, N. Moolenaar, C. Struyve, M. Vandecandelaere, S. Gielen, and E. Kyndt, “The importance of a collaborative culture for teachers’ job satisfaction and affective commitment,” Eur. J. Psychol. Educ., vol. 38, pp. 43–62, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s10212-022-00598-w.
M. P. García-Rodríguez, I. Gómez-Hurtado, I. González-Falcón, and J. M. Coronel, “Distributed leadership practices in two Spanish public primary schools,” Int. J. Educ. Manag., 2025, doi: 10.1108/ijem-10-2023-0536.
N. F. Agusta and A. Azmy, “Servant leadership and career development: Supporting employee growth,” Int. J. Multicult. Multireligious Underst., 2023, doi: 10.18415/ijmmu.v10i12.5320.
S. Suriati, M. Ibrahim, A. Irawan, M. A. Akbar, and Y. Yendra, “Effective strategies for retaining and nurturing employees in organizations,” Adv. J. Ekon. Bisnis, 2024, doi: 10.60079/ajeb.v2i3.191.
K. Xie, M. J. Nelson, S.-L. Cheng, and Z. Jiang, “Examining changes in teachers’ perceptions of external and internal barriers in their integration of educational digital resources in K-12 classrooms,” J. Res. Technol. Educ., vol. 55, pp. 281–306, 2021, doi: 10.1080/15391523.2021.1951404.
G. G. Gomiole, W. M. Tarekegn, and A. L. Wodajo, “Principals as instructional leaders: An exploration of school context factors that affect principals’ competence at primary schools in Tarcha town, Ethiopia,” Int. J. Leadersh. Educ., 2024, doi: 10.1080/13603124.2024.2387556.
M. A. Ayanwale, I. T. Sanusi, O. P. Adelana, K. D. Aruleba, and S. Oyelere, “Teachers’ readiness and intention to teach artificial intelligence in schools,” Comput Educ Artif Intell, vol. 3, p. 100099, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100099.
G. Arastaman, A. Çetinkaya, P. Ayyıldız, and K. Yildirim, “Equity in school principal selection and its influence on teachers’ motivation to pursue the role,” Leadersh. Policy Sch., 2025, doi: 10.1080/15700763.2025.2451983.
X. Qin and S. Liu, “The relationship between principal support, teacher professional identity, and teacher professional learning in China: Investigating gender differences,” Psychol. Sch., 2023, doi: 10.1002/pits.23066.
J. Park and S. Byun, “Principal support, professional learning community, and group-level teacher expectations,” Sch. Eff. Sch. Improv., vol. 32, pp. 1–23, 2020, doi: 10.1080/09243453.2020.1764061.
O. H. V. Griek, M. G. Clauson, and L. Eby, “Organizational career growth and proactivity: A typology for individual career development,” J. Career Dev., vol. 47, pp. 344–357, 2020, doi: 10.1177/0894845318771216.
D. Wang and Y. Li, “Career construction theory: tools, interventions, and future trends,” Front. Psychol., vol. 15, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1381233.
M. L. Savickas, “Career construction theory and practice,” in Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work, 2nd ed., R. W. Lent and S. D. Brown, Eds., Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2013, pp. 147–183.
Copyright (c) 2025 Agus Setiawan, Lud Waluyo, Iis Siti Aisyah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and acknowledge that the Integrated Science Education Journal is the first publisher licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.
.png)
.png)
