A Post-Pandemic Management Model for Enhancing Junior High School Teachers’ Professional Competence in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Development and Validation

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in the professional competence of Indonesian teachers, particularly in digital pedagogy and adaptive instruction. In the Special Region of Yogyakarta, government-led initiatives such as the Zoning-Based Learning Competency Development Program (PKP) and the Teacher Leadership Program (PPGP) were implemented during the pandemic but exhibited systemic weaknesses, including inconsistent execution, weak monitoring, and limited reach to suburban and remote schools. This study investigates the management models applied during the pandemic, identifies their operational shortcomings, and proposes a novel, empirically grounded conceptual model for post-pandemic teacher professional development. Using a mixed-methods research and development design adapted from Borg and Gall, data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis involving 70 teachers, school principals, supervisors, and education officials in Bantul Regency. Findings reveal that existing models relied on only four classical management functions and suffered from poor planning, inadequate technological integration, and insufficient follow-up. In response, the researchers developed a six-function management model—planning, organizing, facilitating, actuating, controlling, and evaluating—centered on blended collaborative study groups and university–school partnerships. Expert validation (n = 8) and three phases of field trials (n = 10, 20, and 30 teachers) demonstrated high effectiveness (mean = 3.73), efficiency (mean = 3.73), and practicality (mean = 3.67) on a 4-point Likert scale. The model offers a scalable, context-sensitive framework for post-pandemic teacher development in Indonesia and similar Global South contexts.