ENHANCING PEDAGOGICAL LEADERSHIP IN MALAYSIAN IB SCHOOLS: A CONTEXTUAL MODEL EVALUATION

Abstrak

Pedagogical leadership has emerged as a vital concept in contemporary educational discourse, intersecting with various leadership paradigms. In Malaysia, significant investments have been made in education reform, particularly highlighted in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2013-2025), emphasizing access, quality, equity, unity, and efficiency. Amidst this backdrop, pedagogical leaders are increasingly recognized as strategic enablers of educational advancement and professionalism among teachers. However, while pedagogical leadership frameworks are abundant in Western contexts, their application and understanding in Malaysian IB schools remain limited. This paper presents a critical evaluation of a conceptual model of pedagogical leadership within a private Malaysian IB school, derived from a holistic case study approach. Through thematic analysis, the model's components were refined, incorporating Eastern philosophy to align with the school's ethos and needs. The evaluation, based on focus group discussions, highlights both positive perceptions and limitations of the model, emphasizing the dynamic nature of leadership and its context-specific 45 application. The findings underscore the need for continual refinement and contextualization of pedagogical leadership models in diverse educational settings.