Strategic Planning of Early Childhood Education Principals in Enhancing Educational Quality and Institutional Competitiveness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61987/gazette.v3i1.1735Keywords:
Strategic Planning, Early Childhood Education, Principal Leadership, Educational QualityAbstract
Early childhood education institutions are increasingly required to strengthen educational quality while maintaining institutional competitiveness in dynamic educational environments. This study aims to analyze the strategic planning practices of the principal of TK Asasi Tanjungbalai in improving educational quality and institutional competitiveness. The research employed a qualitative descriptive case study design, involving in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation analysis. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion verification to ensure credibility through triangulation. The findings reveal three major themes. First, the principal implemented a vision-driven strategic alignment model that integrated long-term goals with curriculum development, teacher professional growth, and resource allocation. Second, participatory strategic governance was established through collaborative planning forums involving teachers, staff, and parents, strengthening collective ownership and accountability. Third, institutional branding strategies were systematically developed through program innovation, community partnerships, and digital promotion, enhancing public trust and enrollment growth. These findings contribute to the literature on strategic leadership in early childhood education by providing an integrated model linking planning, participation, and branding. It is recommended that early childhood institutions institutionalize participatory strategic planning frameworks to ensure sustainable quality improvement.
References
Agus, A. H., Rahmatillah, A. N., & Andayani, S. A. (2025). The Influence of Principal’s Service Quality and Teachers’ Self-Concept on Emotional Regulation in Preschool Teachers. Child Education Journal, 7(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.33086/cej.v7i1.7029
Arifin, S. (2024). Management of Ahlussunnah wal Jama’ah-Based Curriculum Development in Islamic Education Best Practice. Educazione: Journal of Education and Learning, 1(2), 102–115. https://doi.org/10.61987/educazione.v1i2.499
Arsul, A., Johanna, A., & Congzhao, H. (2021). The Principal’s Business In Improving the Quality of Islamic Education (Case Study at SDIT AZ Jambi City). At-Tasyrih: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Hukum Islam, 7(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.55849/attasyrih.v7i1.64
Ataman, A., & Safitri, S. D. (2024). Exploring Complementary Leadership Styles in Madrasahs by Aiming at Their Impact on Integrity and Character Development. Business and Applied Management Journal, 1(2), 118–133. https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v1i2.487
Bazeliuk, O., Vitrenko, Y., Zhylyaev, I., Vorona, V., & Bazeliuk, V. (2023). Mechanisms for Enhancing the Financial Autonomy of Universities: the Digital Dimension. Financial and Credit Activity: Problems of Theory and Practice, 1(48), 450–460. https://doi.org/10.55643/fcaptp.1.48.2023.3904
Capriotti, P., & Zeler, I. (2023). Analysing Effective Social Media Communication in Higher Education Institutions. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02187-8
Darwanto, A., Prahmana, R. C. I., Susanti, A., & Khalil, I. A. (2024). Transformation of Boarding School Management Models in Enhancing Student Accessibility and Educational Quality. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 21(1), 145–164. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i1.8632
Dewi, N. D., & Zaenurrosyid, A. (2023). Islamic Philanthropic Institutions in the Development of Education and Economic Empowerment. Islamic Review: Jurnal Riset Dan Kajian Keislaman, 12(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.35878/islamicreview.v12i1.695
Efendi, N. (2022). Implementation of Total Quality Management and Curriculum on the Education Quality. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 13(3), 120–149.
Epifanić, V., Urošević, S., Dobrosavljević, A., Kokeza, G., & Radivojević, N. (2021). Multi-Criteria Ranking of Organizational Factors Affecting The Learning Quality Outcomes in Elementary Education in Serbia. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 22(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2020.13675
Gunherani, D. (2023). Improving Vocational School’s Learning Quality Through School-Based Management. In Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies (Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 152–159). Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha. https://doi.org/10.23887/jlls.v6i1.58617
Illah, A., Mansur, R., Hidayatullah, M. F., Sariman, S., & Seena, I. (2022). Principal Leadership in Developing the Competence of Islamic Religious Education Teachers. Nidhomul Haq : Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 7(3), 404–419. https://doi.org/10.31538/ndh.v7i3.2658
Kim, J. (2024). Leading Teachers’ Perspective on Teacher-AI Collaboration in Education. Education and Information Technologies, 29(7), 8693–8724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12109-5
Kuncoro, I., Yuniar, A. P., Sungkar, S. A., & Romadan, A. I. (2025). Character Education Management in Early Childhood Education. Thawalib: Jurnal Kependidikan Islam, 6(2), 225–236. https://jurnal.staithawalib.ac.id/index.php/thawalib/article/view/417
Mahsusi, Hudaa, S., Fahmi, M., Kusen, Haryanti, N. D., & Wajdi, M. B. N. (2024). Achieving Excellence: The Role of Digital Transformation in Madrasah Management and Islamic Culture. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2304407
Makruf, I., Rifa’i, A. A., & Triana, Y. (2022). Moodle-based Online Learning Management in Higher Education. International Journal of Instruction, 15(1), 135–152. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2022.1518a
Manshur, U., Zakiyah, L., & Sain, Z. H. (2025). Mitigating Adolescent Mythomania through Kindness-Based Pedagogy: Lessons Learned from Rural School. Cendekia: Jurnal Kependidikan Dan Kemasyarakatan, 23(2), 172–188. https://doi.org/10.21154/cendekia.v23i2.12213
Mardani, M., Nazari, R., & Tabesh, S. (2024). Explaining the Factors Affecting the Development of Iranian Citizenship Sports with Emphasis on the Health of Citizens. Journal of Health System Research, 20(2), 122–136. https://doi.org/10.48305/jhsr.v20i2.1537
Maulidia, M. (2023). Enhancing Educational Impact: Exploring Effective Media And Public Relations Techniques In Educational Institutions. Ar-Rosikhun: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 2(3), 214–225. https://doi.org/10.18860/rosikhun.v2i3.21644
Nasri, U. (2023). Exploring Qualitative Research: a Comprehensive Guide To Case Study Methodology. Al-Hikmah : Jurnal Studi Islam, 4(3), 72–85. https://ejournal.kopertais4.or.id/sasambo/index.php/alhikmah/article/view/5627
Nguyen, T.-H. (2021). Management of Primary Teachers according to the Approach of Competency-based Human Resources Management. Addaiyan Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(6), 93–116. https://doi.org/10.36099/ajahss.3.6.8
Nurtanto, M., Kholifah, N., Masek, A., Sudira, P., & Samsudin, A. (2021). Crucial Problems in Arranged The Lesson Plan of Vocational Teacher. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 10(1), 345–354. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v10i1.20604
Pham, Q. T., Ho, X. T., Nguyen, T. P. L., Pham, T. H. Q., & Bui, A. T. (2023). Financial Reporting Quality in Pandemic Era: Case Analysis of Vietnamese Enterprises. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 13(1), 330–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2021.1905411
Pratiwi, H., Ismail, M., & Riwanda, A. (2024). Questioning Inclusive City Quality: Teachers’ Perspectives and Experiences in Sexuality Education for Children with Special Needs in Indonesia. International Journal of Educational Research, 127, 102419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102419
Sanjani, M. A. F. (2024). The Impact of School Principals on Graduate Quality Through Character Education Initiatives. Journal of Educational Management Research, 3(1), 30–46. https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v3i1.347
Serafini, P. G., Moura, J. M. de, Almeida, M. R. de, & Rezende, J. F. D. de. (2022). Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education Institutions: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 370, 133473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133473
Sugito, S. (2024). Hybrid Learning in Pesantren: Integrating Digital Pedagogy and Islamic Values to Enhance 21st-Century Competencies. Tafkir: Interdisciplinary Journal of Islamic Education, 5(4), 749–764. https://doi.org/10.31538/tijie.v5i4.2207
Widyastuti, N., Suminar, T., & Waluyo, E. (2024). The Role of Transformational Leaders in Improving the Quality of Early Childhood Education. JPUD - Jurnal Pendidikan Usia Dini, 18(2), 322–349. https://doi.org/10.21009/jpud.v18i2.49615
Williams, H. (2021). The Meaning of “Phenomenology”: Qualitative and Philosophical Phenomenological Research Methods. Qualitative Report, 26(2), 366–385. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4587
Zhanbayev, R. A., Irfan, M., Shutaleva, A. V., Maksimov, D. G., Abdykadyrkyzy, R., & Filiz, Ş. (2023). Demoethical Model of Sustainable Development of Society: A Roadmap towards Digital Transformation. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(16), 12478. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612478
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Syaiful Arif Manurung, Topan Iskandar, Chanda Chansa Thelma
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
