Strengthening Students' Character as Authentic Learners: Effects of Advanced School Leadership and Boost Learning

Improving the 2013 national curriculum and strengthening character education in schools remains a challenge for Indonesia. The role of school leadership remains an incomplete issue. This study aims to examine the influence of school leadership on the reinforcement of character education and the character of students as authentic learners. This cross-sectional survey collected data from students, teachers and school principals from 28 randomly selected West Java junior high schools. Using the educational production function model, the study found that the quality of school leadership had an impact on teachers' ability to develop character-based learning and consequently on the growth of student characters as authentic learner. The results show that character education will be more successful with the guidance of the principal as an agent of change, whereby they are able to influence teachers to change their instructional behavior toward character-based learning.