Visionary leadership and teacher competence in strengthening elementary school competitiveness: An instrumental case study

Abstract

The quality of basic education in Indonesia continues to exhibit disparities between public and private elementary schools, particularly in rural areas where differences in leadership, teacher competence, and institutional capacity remain substantial. While previous studies have examined school leadership and teacher competence separately, limited research has explored their combined role in reducing educational quality disparities. This study analyzes the contribution of principals’ visionary leadership and teacher competence to improving educational quality in Temanggung Regency. An instrumental qualitative case study was conducted in five purposively selected public elementary schools and one leading private elementary school. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. Four themes emerged: (1) visionary leadership promotes continuous school improvement through a shared vision; (2) ongoing teacher professional development enhances instructional quality and learning innovation; (3) organizational adaptability and stakeholder collaboration strengthen school competitiveness; and (4) limited facilities, bureaucratic rigidity, and insufficient teacher development constrain quality improvement in public schools. Compared with the participating public schools, the private school implemented these dimensions more consistently, leading to stronger institutional performance and higher public trust. The findings underscore the need for integrated policies that reinforce leadership, teacher professionalism, organizational innovation, and institutional support to reduce educational disparities