Teachers who stay: the role of professional identity in teacher retention

This study aims to analyze the role of school principal leadership in shaping students’ character of discipline, responsibility, and independence at SMP Negeri 4 Pekanbaru. This research employed a qualitative phenomenological approach involving 16 participants consisting of one school principal, five teachers, and ten students, selected through purposive sampling based on their involvement and understanding of the research phenomenon. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that school principals play a crucial role in character formation through exemplary leadership, integration of character values into the school vision and mission, habituation programs, routine activities, supervision, and continuous evaluation. The strategies implemented include effective communication, motivation and appreciation, enforcement of school regulations accompanied by guidance, and collaboration with teachers, parents, and the community. Character development is supported by the principal’s commitment, involvement of school members, extracurricular activities, and family and community support. However, several challenges remain, including limited student awareness, insufficient parental supervision, peer influence, and uncontrolled use of technology and social media. This study highlights the importance of transformational and collaborative leadership in creating a school environment that supports sustainable student character development.

Improving educational quality requires human resource (HR) management that supports teachers’ continuous professional development and adaptation to global demands. This study aims to describe the management of educational HR transformation toward global quality at SMP Muhammadiyah 15 Surabaya and identify its supporting and inhibiting factors. A qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through non-participant observation, interviews, and documentation. Informants were selected through purposive sampling and included the vice principal, the vice principal for curriculum, two teachers, and two students. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, conclusion drawing, and verification. The findings indicate that HR transformation is managed through planning, organizing, implementation, supervision, and evaluation. Development programs include internal and external training, a teacher learning community, weekly learning reflection, monthly coaching, and academic supervision. Supporting factors include a collaborative culture, regular professional guidance, and school support. Inhibiting factors comprise limited time, insufficient openness in reflection, short coaching sessions, delayed follow-up, and some teachers’ extrinsic motivation. These findings provide contextual insights into school-level HR management but do not establish program effectiveness in improving student learning outcomes or achieving global quality standards. ABSTRAK Peningkatan mutu pendidikan membutuhkan manajemen sumber daya manusia (SDM) yang mampu mengembangkan kompetensi guru secara berkelanjutan dan adaptif terhadap tuntutan global. Penelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan manajemen transformasi SDM pendidikan menuju mutu global di SMP Muhammadiyah 15 Surabaya serta mengidentifikasi faktor pendukung dan penghambatnya. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data berupa observasi non-partisipan, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Informan dipilih secara purposive, meliputi wakil kepala sekolah, wakil kepala sekolah bidang kurikulum, dua guru, dan dua peserta didik. Data dianalisis melalui reduksi data, penyajian data, serta penarikan kesimpulan dan verifikasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa transformasi SDM dikelola melalui perencanaan, pengorganisasian, pelaksanaan, pengawasan, dan evaluasi. Program pengembangan mencakup pelatihan internal dan eksternal, komunitas belajar, learning reflection mingguan, coaching bulanan, dan supervisi akademik. Faktor pendukung meliputi budaya kolaborasi, pembinaan rutin, serta dukungan sekolah, sedangkan hambatannya mencakup keterbatasan waktu, keterbukaan refleksi, durasi coaching, keterlambatan tindak lanjut, dan motivasi ekstrinsik sebagian guru. Temuan ini bersifat kontekstual dan belum membuktikan efektivitas program terhadap hasil belajar atau pencapaian standar mutu global.

Although Kurikulum Merdeka promotes flexible, student-centered learning, the implementation of Natural and Social Sciences (IPAS) instruction in elementary schools continues to face various challenges. This study aimed to describe the challenges in implementing IPAS instruction under Kurikulum Merdeka in Grade V at SD Negeri 005 Desa Baru, Kampar Regency. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach involving two fifth-grade teachers and six purposively selected students. Three students had IPAS scores above 75, and three had scores below 75. Data were collected through nonparticipant observation, structured interviews, and documentation and analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. Data trustworthiness was assessed through triangulation of sources and data collection techniques. The findings identified three domains of challenges related to students, teachers, and learning assessment. Student-related challenges were the most prominent, including differences in understanding, declining attention after approximately 15–20 minutes of lecturing, interest that depended on the type of activity, uneven participation, dependence on external motivation, inconsistent task management, and varying levels of learning readiness. Teacher-related challenges included the breadth of integrated science and social studies content and classroom management during group activities. Assessment involved oral quizzes and student worksheets, supplemented by remedial instruction and enrichment. Achievement scores ranged from 60 to 96, with a mastery threshold of 75. These findings underscore the need for differentiated instruction, concrete and contextually relevant instructional media, clearly assigned group roles, time management, and the use of assessment results to improve instruction. This study provides a contextual account of challenges in IPAS instruction and the need to adapt fifth-grade teaching practices. Its restriction to one school and a focused observation period highlights the need for further research covering more lessons and IPAS topics.

The stress facing the educational leadership as school principals are required to deal with administrative management, supervision of staff, academic performance and institutional development. There are specific issues that may affect female principals in addition to the other factors listed above: Interpersonal demands, competing professional demands, and work–life balance. Problem-Focused Coping Strategies (PFCS) may be a way to cope with stress by identifying the sources of stress, planning and problem solving, prioritizing and making positive decisions. The present study investigated the correlation between PFCS and Stress Management (SM) of female school principals. The method of quantitative research was employed and data was gathered from 74 principals (females). Analysis of the correlation showed a weak negative correlation between PFCS and SM (r = -.117). The regression model accounted for about 1.4% of the variability in SM (R2 = .014). The overall regression model was not significant (F (1,72) = 1.005, p = .319). The regression coefficient for PFCS was also negative and not significantly different from 0 (B = -.254, β = -.117, p = .319). The results of this study suggest that there was no statistically significant predictive relationship found between the female principals who participated in the study and PFCS and SM. The results do not show that problem-focused coping is not effective, however; it does imply that it may be insufficient to account for variations in stress management in this sample. The results indicate that there is a need to explore further individual and organizational factors, such as workload, institutional support, leadership experience, resources, and work–life balance. More research is needed using larger samples, measuring instruments that have been established and validated, and using longitudinal or intervention designs to investigate the role of problem-focused coping in stress management. Other professional development programs that could be beneficial for educational authorities include those related to problem solving, time management, delegation, and conflict resolution. The research brings insights from the sphere of stress amongst female educational leaders to the discussion and provides some insights for future research directions.

Firms often treat spending on employee training, development and well-being as a discretionary expense rather than an investment. The aim of this article is to examine whether human capital investment improves firm financial performance through employee well-being, and whether this effect depends on the firm's financial constraints. The study integrates human capital theory, the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model and the corporate finance literature on financing constraints. A moderated-mediation model is proposed in which employee well-being mediates the link between human capital investment and financial performance, while financial constraints weaken the link between investment and well-being. The model is tested on matched employer–employee data from 50–60 project-based organisations in the construction, IT, consulting and engineering sectors of Tashkent. Multilevel moderated-mediation analysis is applied. The scientific novelty lies in treating human capital investment as a financially constrained corporate investment and testing this integrated model in the under-researched context of Central Asia. The results help managers and policymakers understand the financial rationale for investing in employees under different financing conditions.