Papua—Adaptive Strategic Management Drives Curriculum Innovation in Papua Elementary School. Research conducted by Yuni Misrahayu from the Doctoral University of Husni Ingratubun Papua was published in the Journal of Educational Analytics (JEDA) in February 2026.
The research is Yuni Misrahayu important because it shows that the success of curriculum change in schools depends not only on facilities, but also on contextual management strategies integrated with school leadership and collaboration.
Case
study in a Papua elementary school
The
study used a qualitative case-study design in one public elementary school in
Papua Province, Indonesia, selected because it had implemented curriculum
innovation. Five key school actors participated: the principal, vice principal
for curriculum, two classroom teachers, and a school committee representative.
Data were collected through in-depth interviews, school observations, and
analysis of planning and learning documents.
Thematic
analysis revealed that strategic management in the school functions not merely
as a formal work plan but as an adaptive practice continuously adjusted to
student needs, classroom realities, and organizational dynamics. Strategies are
reviewed through routine coordination meetings, program reflections, and rapid
adjustments when facilities or learning conditions change.
Key
findings: strategy as a living practice
The
research identified five patterns explaining how strategic management supports
curriculum innovation in a Papua elementary school:
1.
Strategic management as adaptive practice
School strategies are treated as a living way of working rather than rigid
documents. Teachers and leaders adapt learning activities to real student
conditions while maintaining curriculum goals.
2.
Principal leadership as innovation driver
The principal sets direction, maintains implementation rhythm, and ensures
consistency through communication and mentoring. Leadership bridges formal
strategy and classroom practice.
3.
Flexible curriculum management
Teachers adjust methods, projects, and assessment to student capacity.
Evaluation includes observation and contextual tasks, not only tests.
Flexibility sustains innovation without lowering standards.
4.
Use of local context as learning resource
Papuan environment, culture, and daily experiences are integrated into lessons
and projects, increasing engagement and relevance.
5.
Collaboration as the core success factor
Innovation success depends more on collaboration among teachers, leaders, and
the school committee than on infrastructure. Shared roles and routine
communication enable innovation despite limited resources.
Misrahayu emphasizes that curriculum innovation in regional schools persists through collective strategy rather than ideal conditions: schools progress with available resources, and cooperation is the key enabling factor.
Implications
for regional education policy
The
findings carry several implications for education systems in remote or diverse
regions. First, national curricula should allow local adaptation so schools can
align learning with socio-cultural contexts. Second, strengthening principal
leadership capacity may yield greater impact than infrastructure provision
alone. Third, internal school collaboration should be institutionalized through
teacher learning communities and reflective forums.
The study reinforces the view that sustainable curriculum change requires strategies rooted in each school’s context. This insight is relevant for many Indonesian regions characterized by geographic and cultural diversity.
Academic
contribution: integrating management and curriculum
Scholarly
literature often treats strategic management and curriculum innovation as
separate domains. Misrahayu’s research shows they operate as an integrated
practice in everyday school work. Effective strategy emerges when leadership,
curriculum flexibility, and local context utilization interact dynamically.
The study also highlights that socio-organizational factors—collaboration culture, shared roles, and leadership support—shape innovation success more strongly than structural resources alone. This perspective enriches educational management research, particularly in elementary education in developing and remote contexts.
Limitations
and future research
As a
single-case qualitative study with five participants, the findings are
context-specific and not intended for broad generalization. Future studies
could apply multi-case or longitudinal designs across regions to test the
sustainability of adaptive strategies. Combining qualitative insights with
student learning outcomes would also strengthen evidence of curriculum
innovation impact.
Despite these limits, the study offers rare empirical insight into how a resource-limited elementary school sustains curriculum innovation through adaptive strategic management.
Author
Profile
- Yuni Misrahayu- Universitas Doktor Husni Ingratubun Papua
Source
Misrahayu,
Yuni. 2026. “Implementing Strategic Management to Support Curriculum Innovation
in Elementary Schools.” Journal of Educational Analytics (JEDA), Vol. 5
No. 1, pp. 151–164.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jeda.v5i1.619
URL: https://nblformosapublisher.org/index.php/jeda
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