Integrating Managerial Functions Into Professional Learning Communities: Insights From Elementary Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65820/ejes-5vol2-issue1-2026Keywords:
Managerial Function, Learning Community, Collaborative Professional Learning Community, basic educationAbstract
Purpose: This study examined how classical managerial functions, namely planning, organising, actuating, and controlling, are integrated into Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in an Indonesian elementary school and how they support sustainable teacher professional learning.
Methods: A qualitative single-case study based on Yin’s methodology was conducted in a public elementary school implementing a formal PLC under Indonesia’s Guru dan Tenaga Kependidikan (GTK) platform. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the principal, PLC coordinator, administrators, and teachers, complemented by participant observation and document analysis.
Results: Classical managerial functions were transformed from administrative processes into collaborative professional practices. Planning was participatory and evidence based, organising emphasised distributed leadership, actuating occurred through lesson study, peer collaboration, and pedagogical dialogue, while controlling focused on collective reflection and continuous improvement. PLC effectiveness was strengthened by facilitative leadership, teacher commitment, and digital support systems. However, workload, limited infrastructure, and differences in teacher competence constrained implementation. Sustainable PLC development depended on aligning managerial structures with a collaborative learning culture.
Novelty and Contribution: The study demonstrates that classical management functions can be reinterpreted to strengthen professional collaboration rather than hierarchical control, particularly in resource-constrained schools.
Social and Practical Implications: School leaders and policymakers should integrate structured management practices with reflective professional learning to strengthen PLC sustainability, leadership capacity, and teacher professional development in developing-country contexts.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mamik Norsetiani, Imaniar Purbasari, Erik Aditia Ismaya, Yusuff Bolaji Yusuff (Author)
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This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
