Bridging Local Wisdom and Digital Transformation: The Role of Ki Hajar Dewantara-Based Leadership in Enhancing Teacher Competency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v14i3.1632Keywords:
Leadership, Ki Hajar Dewantara Trilogy, Digital Skills, Teacher Competency, Educational TransformationAbstract
The rapid expansion of digital technology has transformed educational practices worldwide while simultaneously intensifying concerns regarding teachers' competencies and the preservation of educational values within increasingly digitalized learning environments. Although previous studies have extensively examined educational leadership and digital competence independently, limited attention has been given to the interaction between culturally grounded leadership and digital skills in shaping teacher competency. This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect relationships among leadership based on the Ki Hajar Dewantara trilogy, digital skills, and teacher competency among Indonesian elementary school teachers. Employing a quantitative approach with an ex post facto correlational design, the study involved 197 teachers from Lampung Province, Indonesia, selected through cluster sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.0. The findings reveal that trilogy-based leadership significantly influences digital skills and teacher competency, while digital skills positively affect teacher competency and mediate the relationship between leadership and professional development. These findings demonstrate that technological competence and culturally grounded leadership function as complementary rather than competing forces within educational transformation. The study contributes to the literature on educational leadership by proposing an integrative framework that combines ethical values, cultural identity, and technological adaptation, thereby providing insights into the development of more humanistic, inclusive, and sustainable educational systems in both national and international contexts.
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