School Principal Deep Learning Training Successfully Boosts Elementary Student Learning Quality in Kotamobagu

Image Illustration by AI

FORMOSA NEWS - Kotamobagu - A major shift is taking place in the primary education sector of Kotamobagu City. A recent study shows that optimizing the role of school principals through deep learning training has significantly improved the quality of teachers' instructional delivery. This strategic step is considered a critical key to accelerating educational transformation in line with the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.

This comprehensive research was conducted by a research team from the University of Muhammadiyah Malang, consisting of Kusnadi Pobela, Rr Eko Susetyarini, and Baiduri. Published in mid-2026, the study highlights how crucial school principals' instructional leadership is in transforming classrooms to become more active, adaptive, and student-centered.

Moving Past Old Patterns for Digital Challenges

Today's education world faces a double pressure: the demand to produce a generation equipped with 21st-century skills and the acceleration of post-pandemic digitalization. Unfortunately, many elementary school principals have historically been bogged down by conventional administrative roles instead of acting as academic mentors who guide teachers in the classroom.

Recognizing this gap, Kusnadi Pobela and his team examined the implementation of deep learning training in Kotamobagu. In an educational context, deep learning does not refer to artificial intelligence technology, but rather to a meaningful learning approach. This approach requires students to move beyond rote memorization, encouraging them to think critically, collaborate, create, and solve real-world problems.

To analyze this phenomenon, the research team utilized a descriptive qualitative approach. They combined in-depth literature reviews with best-practice studies based on direct field experience. Structured observations were conducted during the training and mentoring sessions involving elementary school principals and teachers across Kotamobagu.

Three Core Findings: Teachers Shift, Principals Engage

The data analysis revealed that the training intervention brought massive positive impacts to the school ecosystem. The following are the three main findings from the study:

• Shift in Teacher Instructional Styles: Teachers who previously relied on one-way lectures (teacher-centered) have transitioned to student-centered approaches. Classrooms have become highly interactive through group discussions and contextual problem-solving.
• Strengthened Academic Supervision: Principals are no longer just checking attendance sheets. They are now actively engaged in academic supervision, providing regular mentoring and helping teachers overcome classroom challenges.
• Increased Technology-Driven Innovation: The training sparked greater confidence among teachers and principals to integrate digital tools into the curriculum more contextually and engagingly.

"School principals now function as facilitators of teacher learning and innovation, rather than just administrative managers," Kusnadi Pobela and his colleagues wrote in their scholarly report.

Broad Implications for Educational Policy

The success seen in Kotamobagu offers an important blueprint for other regions across Indonesia. This research proves that budget allocations for teacher training will not yield optimal results unless they are paired with capacity building for school leadership.

For local governments and policymakers, the study recommends three strategic actions:

1. Establish sustainable deep learning training programs, moving away from one-off, single-event projects.
2. Create and support collaborative professional learning communities for teachers to share best practices.
3. Provide continuous post-training mentoring to ensure that the concepts are effectively applied in daily classroom sessions.

Researcher Profiles

• Kusnadi Pobela is the lead researcher whose work focuses on educational management, instructional leadership, and teacher capacity building. He is currently affiliated with the graduate program at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang.
• Rr Eko Susetyarini is a senior lecturer and researcher at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang with expertise in instructional innovation and curriculum development.
• Baiduri is an academic and teaching methods expert at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang who actively researches strategies for improving primary and secondary education quality.

Research Source Information

• Journal Article Title: Optimizing the Role of School Principals Through Deep Learning Training to Improve the Quality of Elementary School Teachers' Instruction in Kotamobagu City
• Journal Name: International Journal of Advance Social Sciences and Education (IJASSE)
• Volume & Issue: Vol. 4, No. 3, Year 2026, Pages 211-220
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijasse.v4i3.6
• Official URL: https://journalijasse.my.id/index.php/ijasse