Promoting a School Companion Competency Model to Address New Education Policies and the Challenges of the Digital Era
Keywords:
Coaching Competencies, Education supervision, Digital Competency, School management.
Abstract
This study aims to conceptualize and describe a new school companion competency model designed to guide educational practitioners in Indonesia, following a recent policy reform that abolished the official role of school supervisors. This reform coincides with the accelerating digital transformation of education, demanding new professional capacities that emphasize collaboration, adaptability, and digital fluency. To address this gap, the study employed a mixed-methods design over a nine-month period, combining in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with purposively selected participants who had direct experience in supervisory role transitions. The findings identified the Instructional Coaching Competencies (ICC) framework as the most relevant model for current educational needs. The ICC model represents an adaptive, integrative, and holistic approach consisting of three interrelated dimensions: Digital Instructional Leadership, Digital Ethics and Communication, and Transformational Coaching. Collectively, these dimensions redefine supervision as an act of facilitation and reflective partnership rather than bureaucratic inspection. The results hold substantial relevance beyond Indonesia, particularly for countries with decentralized education systems undergoing similar policy transitions. The model also provides practical guidance for school principals in strengthening leadership and professional competence in the digital era. With strong confidence, this study recommends the broader application of the ICC framework and encourages future research using a quasi-experimental approach to validate its reliability and impact on teaching performance and instructional quality.
References
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E. Field, P. Berger, D. Lee, C. Strutt, and A. T. Nguyen, “Knowledge, urgency and agency: reflections on climate change education course outcomes,” Environ. Educ. Res., vol. 30, no. 11, pp. 2108–2130, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1080/13504622.2023.2296359.
A. Al-Kiyumi and W. Hammad, “Preparing Instructional Supervisors for Educational Change: Empirical Evidence From the Sultanate of Oman,” Sage Open, vol. 10, no. 2, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.1177/2158244020935905.
A. Rahman, A. Raj, P. Tomy, and M. S. Hameed, “A comprehensive bibliometric and content analysis of artificial intelligence in language learning: tracing between the years 2017 and 2023,” Artif. Intell. Rev., vol. 57, no. 4, p. 107, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10462-023-10643-9.
M. D. C. Ruhimat, R. S. Nugraha, N. Hartini, Y. Rahyasih, S. Leigh Scott, and M. Faizal A. Ghani, “When Education Supervision VS Vertical Bullying: How to Support the Growth of Teacher Quality?,” Educ. Process Int. J., vol. 16, no. 1, 2025, doi: 10.22521/edupij.2025.16.290.
R. Bhatnagar and K. K. Sharma, “A Multidimensional Intelligent Interoperable E-Content Model Implementation using IoT devices in Higher Education,” in 2023 10th IEEE Uttar Pradesh Section International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (UPCON), IEEE, Dec. 2023, pp. 911–916. doi: 10.1109/UPCON59197.2023.10434894.
S. T. Kuiper, D. Zweers, B. B. M. Suelmann, R. P. Meijer, and S. C. J. M. Vervoort, “Perspectives and Concerns on Late Effects Regarding Sexuality among Adolescents and Young Adults Treated for Testicular Germ Cell Tumor: The PRICELESS-Study—A Qualitative Study,” Cancers (Basel)., vol. 16, no. 4, p. 715, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.3390/cancers16040715.
D. Sulastri, “Pengembangan Bahan Ajar Buku Saku Digital Model Addie Materi Peristiwa Kebangsaan Masa Penjajahan Indonesia,” J. Holistika, vol. 7, no. 2, p. 178, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.24853/holistika.7.2.178-185.
M. D. C. Ruhimat, Y. Rahyasih, R. L. Gorni, and R. Shodikin, “Supporting Transformation of Indonesian Higher Education Quality Assurance: The Advanced Socialization of Merdeka Belajar Policy 26th Chapter,” J. Ilmu Pendidik., vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 127–139, 2024, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.17977/um048v30i2p127-139.
G. E. Fischman and L. A. Gandin, “The pedagogical and ethical legacy of a ‘successful’ educational reform: The Citizen School Project,” Int. Rev. Educ., vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 63–89, Feb. 2016, doi: 10.1007/s11159-016-9542-0.
B. S. Abdullaeva, F. Çakmak, and D. Abdullaev, “Paper assessment or online assessment: exploring the impact of assessment modes on EFL students’ language learning outcomes and personal development,” Lang. Test. Asia, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 35, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1186/s40468-024-00309-w.
E. B. Demissie, T. O. Labiso, and M. W. Thuo, “Teachers’ digital competencies and technology integration in education: Insights from secondary schools in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia,” Soc. Sci. Humanit. Open, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 100355, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2022.100355.
B. I. Omodan, “The roles of epistemology and decoloniality in addressing power dynamics in university education,” Glob. Soc. Educ., vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 1226–1240, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.1080/14767724.2024.2335661.
K. D. Lewis and J. DeSantis, “Exploring The Role of Instructional Coaching in A Shifting Classroom Technology Landscape,” J. Interdiscip. Teach. Leadersh., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1–29, 2024, doi: 10.46767/kfp.2016-0051.
G. Skamagki, A. King, C. Carpenter, and C. Wåhlin, “The concept of integration in mixed methods research: a step-by-step guide using an example study in physiotherapy,” Physiother. Theory Pract., vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 197–204, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.1080/09593985.2022.2120375.
J. W. Creswell and V. L. Plano Clark eds, “Core mixed methods designs,” Des. Conduct. Mix. methods Res., vol. 3, pp. 51–99, 2018.
P. Limna, “The impact of NVivo in qualitative research: Perspectives from graduate students,” J. Appl. Learn. Teach., vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 25–34, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.2.17.
A. T. Jebb, V. Ng, and L. Tay, “A Review of Key Likert Scale Development Advances: 1995–2019,” Front. Psychol., vol. 12, May 2021, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.637547.
M. A. A. Abulela, K. Nickodem, and M. C. Rodriguez, “Measurement Invariance and Cohort Trends for Social and Emotional Learning Measures Across Four Statewide Administrations: Conventional Fit Statistics Versus the RMSEA D,” J. Psychoeduc. Assess., vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 178–198, Apr. 2025, doi: 10.1177/07342829241302238.
J. Cheek and M. Aston, Using Postmodern and Poststructural Approaches in Applied Research. New York: Routledge, 2024. doi: 10.4324/9780429053764.
M. Hennink and B. N. Kaiser, “Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests,” Soc. Sci. Med., vol. 292, p. 114523, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523.
S. L. Lohr, Sampling. Boca Raton: Chapman and Hall/CRC, 2021. doi: 10.1201/9780429298899.
D. J. Bluhm, W. Harman, T. W. Lee, and T. R. Mitchell, “Qualitative Research in Management: A Decade of Progress,” J. Manag. Stud., vol. 48, no. 8, pp. 1866–1891, Dec. 2011, doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.00972.x.
H. Taherdoost, “What are Different Research Approaches? Comprehensive Review of Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Research, Their Applications, Types, and Limitations,” J. Manag. Sci. Eng. Res., vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 53–63, Apr. 2022, doi: 10.30564/jmser.v5i1.4538.
F. Krieglstein, M. Beege, G. D. Rey, P. Ginns, M. Krell, and S. Schneider, “A Systematic Meta-analysis of the Reliability and Validity of Subjective Cognitive Load Questionnaires in Experimental Multimedia Learning Research,” Educ. Psychol. Rev., vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 2485–2541, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1007/s10648-022-09683-4.
V. Braun and V. Clarke, “Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis.,” Qual. Psychol., vol. 9, no. 1, p. 3, 2022.
J. D. Bringer, L. H. Johnston, and C. H. Brackenridge, “Using Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software to Develop a Grounded Theory Project,” Field methods, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 245–266, Aug. 2006, doi: 10.1177/1525822X06287602.
C. Mckim, “Meaningful Member-Checking : A Structured Approach to Member- Checking,” vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 41–52, 2023.
Rasdiana et al., “Elevating Teachers’ Professional Digital Competence: Synergies of Principals’ Instructional E-Supervision, Technology Leadership and Digital Culture for Educational Excellence in Digital-Savvy Era,” Educ. Sci., vol. 14, no. 3, p. 266, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.3390/educsci14030266.
P. Hallinger, S. Liu, P. N. Aung, and M. Yan, “A systematic review of instructional leadership research conducted with the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS), 1983–2024,” Educ. Manag. Adm. Leadersh., Jul. 2025, doi: 10.1177/17411432251358575.
J. Diller, “Planning and Coordination for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” in Proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, 2023, pp. 3017–3019.
L. Darling-Hammond, A. C. W. Schachner, S. K. Wojcikiewicz, and L. Flook, “Educating teachers to enact the science of learning and development,” Appl. Dev. Sci., vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 1–21, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1080/10888691.2022.2130506.
M. N. P. Abadi et al., “Unraveling Future Trends in Free School Lunch and Nutrition: Global Insights for Indonesia from Bibliometric Approach and Critical Review,” Nutrients, vol. 17, no. 17, p. 2777, Aug. 2025, doi: 10.3390/nu17172777.
C. van Nieuwerburgh and J. Knight, “Positive health coaching: Adopting a dialogical approach to health and wellbeing,” in Routledge International Handbook of Positive Health Sciences, Routledge, 2023, pp. 220–236.
J. Ciarrochi et al., “Process-based therapy: A common ground for understanding and utilizing therapeutic practices.,” J. Psychother. Integr., vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 265–290, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1037/int0000348.
T. N. Nguyen and C. Gonzalez, “Cognitive Machine Theory of Mind,” Proc. 42nd Annu. Meet. Cogn. Sci. Soc. Dev. a Mind Learn. Humans, Anim. Mach. CogSci 2020, pp. 2560–2566, 2020.
M. Fominykh and E. Prasolova-Forl, “Supporting Career Guidance and Vocational Training in Fishery and Maritime Professions with Virtual Reality,” in Practitioner Proceedings of the 10th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN2024), Montana: The Immersive Learning Research Network, 2024, pp. 69–71. doi: 10.56198/5M1RH0QNF.
E. Field, P. Berger, D. Lee, C. Strutt, and A. T. Nguyen, “Knowledge, urgency and agency: reflections on climate change education course outcomes,” Environ. Educ. Res., vol. 30, no. 11, pp. 2108–2130, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1080/13504622.2023.2296359.
Published
2026-04-30
How to Cite
Rahyasih, Y., Permana, J., & Syarifah, L. S. (2026). Promoting a School Companion Competency Model to Address New Education Policies and the Challenges of the Digital Era. Pedagogi: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 26(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24036/pedagogi.v26i1.2936
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Articles
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