Roles of the Principal's Personal Branding on Parents' Preferences in Choosing a School

Abstract

[English]: This research is motivated by the increasing competition between public schools which requires the principal not only to play the role of education manager, but also as a figure who builds public trust. The principal's personal branding is seen as having a strategic role in influencing parents' preferences in choosing a school. This study aims to: (1) analyze the implementation of the principal's personal branding in SMAN 1 Praya Barat, (2) describe the form of parental preference in choosing SMAN 1 Praya Barat, and (3) explain the implications of the principal's personal branding on parents' preferences in choosing a school. This type of research is qualitative research with a phenomenological approach. The research was carried out at SMAN 1 Praya Barat with the subjects of the principal, vice principal, teachers, parents of students, school committees, and community leaders. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentation, then analyzed using thematic analysis techniques to find the meaning and patterns of the research subject's experiences. The results of this study show that: (1) the personal branding of the principal is implemented naturally through humanist-religious leadership, communicative leadership style, stable personality, and consistent social presence; (2) parental preferences are shaped by the school's trust and image, the quality of educational services, the suitability of values, social influence, and perception of the principal's leadership; and (3) the personal branding of the principal has significant implications as a source of public trust that strengthens parents' preferences in choosing SMAN 1 Praya Barat.

[Indonesian]: Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh meningkatnya persaingan antarsekolah negeri yang menuntut kepala sekolah tidak hanya berperan sebagai manajer pendidikan, tetapi juga sebagai figur yang membangun kepercayaan publik. Personal branding kepala sekolah dipandang memiliki peran strategis dalam memengaruhi preferensi orang tua dalam memilih sekolah. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk: (1) menganalisis implementasi personal branding kepala sekolah di SMAN 1 Praya Barat, (2) mendeskripsikan bentuk preferensi orang tua dalam memilih SMAN 1 Praya Barat, dan (3) menjelaskan implikasi personal branding kepala sekolah terhadap preferensi orang tua dalam memilih sekolah. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan fenomenologis. Penelitian dilaksanakan di SMAN 1 Praya Barat dengan subjek kepala sekolah, wakil kepala sekolah, guru, orang tua siswa, komite sekolah, dan tokoh masyarakat. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi lapangan, dan dokumentasi, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan teknik analisis tematik untuk menemukan makna dan pola pengalaman subjek penelitian. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa: (1) personal branding kepala sekolah terimplementasi secara alamiah melalui kepemimpinan humanis-religius, gaya kepemimpinan komunikatif, kepribadian yang stabil, serta kehadiran sosial yang konsisten; (2) preferensi orang tua dibentuk oleh kepercayaan dan citra sekolah, kualitas layanan pendidikan, kesesuaian nilai, pengaruh sosial, dan persepsi terhadap kepemimpinan kepala sekolah; dan (3) personal branding kepala sekolah berimplikasi signifikan sebagai sumber kepercayaan publik yang memperkuat preferensi orang tua dalam memilih SMAN 1 Praya Barat.