Kepala Sekolah sebagai Instructional Leader: Penguatan Kompetensi Pedagogik Guru untuk Pembelajaran Mendalam di Sekolah Dasar

Abstract

This study investigates how instructional leadership affects teachers' pedagogical skills for deep learning in elementary schools under the Merdeka Curriculum. Despite previous research highlighting the impact of principals' and teachers' capacity on learning quality, a gap persists between improvement policies and actual practices in schools. This study aims to analyze how principals implement the three dimensions of instructional leadership (school mission formulation, instructional program management, and positive learning climate development) and their impact on teachers' pedagogical competencies and deep learning practices. The research used a multiple-case study qualitative design across three elementary schools in Jombang Regency, with data collection through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis, and analysis using an interactive model. The results show that strong instructional leadership encourages teachers' ability to plan learning, apply active and student-centered strategies, and use authentic assessments. Schools with consistent supervision, continuous professional development, and a collaborative culture demonstrate stronger implementation of deep learning than schools with limited capacity. This study concludes that instructional leadership is the main lever for improving the quality of learning and, theoretically, confirms that teachers' pedagogical competence and deep learning result from a dynamic interaction among the dimensions of mission, instructional programs, and the learning climate managed by the principal.