Women and leadership style in school management: Study of gender perspective

Abstract

Women's representation in leadership positions is still low because there is still an opinion that women are not worthy of being leaders and only men are worthy of being leaders. This condition proves women’s low participation in leadership roles because the patriarchal culture still strongly influences people’s perspective. This paper aims to describe the roles and positions of women in school management. The research data are in the form of observations and interviews with female school principals and four male vice principals. The qualitative method with a gender perspective is used to identify women’s leadership style in Elementary School 002, Muara Badak District. The results showed that the principal in Muara Badak District prefers masculine characters and maintains a feminine character. It has an impact on assertiveness in controlling the school management process. Second, in carrying out school management functions, the principal’s leadership style applies a democratic leadership style. As a leader, participation seeks to provide trust and establish good communication by prioritising teamwork in decision-making.