How Principal Self-Concept Predicts Decision-Making Quality: Empirical Evidence from School Leadership
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the predictive role of self-concept in the decision-making of elementary school principals. The study employs a survey design with a quantitative approach. The population consists of 62 public elementary school principals in the Jagakarsa District of South Jakarta, with a sample of 54 principals selected using random sampling. Data were collected via a Likert-scale questionnaire. Data analysis involved both descriptive and inferential methods, specifically simple linear regression. The results indicate a positive and significant predictive relationship between self-concept and principals' decision-making (β = 0.624; p < 0.001), with the regression equation Y = 25.261 + 0.722X. The coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.389 reveals that self-concept accounts for 38.9% of the variation in principals' decision-making, while the remaining 61.1% of the variation is not explained by this model. These findings suggest that self-concept is a personal aspect associated with principals' decision-making, alongside other factors not examined in this study. Consequently, initiatives to develop principals' leadership capacity could consider strengthening personal aspects—including the development of self-concept—as part of efforts to enhance the quality of decision-making.
Downloads
References
Athirthan, S. (2025). Impact o f Principals ’ Self -Efficacy o n Teachers ’ Self -Efficacy. International Journal Of Research And Innovation In Social Science (IJRISS), IX(2454), 6687–6696. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS
Bi, Y., Mou, S., Wang, G., & Liao, M. (2023). The Relationship Between Professional Self-Concept And Career Decision-Making Difficulties Among Postgraduate Nursing Students In China : The Mediating Role Of Career Decision-Making. Frontier in Psychology, 14(July), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1198974
Duan, J., Xu, Y., & Swol, L. M. Van. (2020). Influence of self-concept clarity on advice seeking and utilisation. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, May. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12435
Fadillah, Z. I. (2024). Peran Kepala Sekolah Dalam Mendorong Inovasi Dan Perubahan Positif. JME Jurnal Management Education, 2(3), 95–101.
Fauzi, I., & Samrin. (2024). Membangun Tim Unggul: Strategi Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Pendidikan. Jurna Penelitian Kebijakan Pendidikan, 17(2), 99–112.
Guerrettaz, J., Chang, L., Hippel, W. Von, Carroll, P. J., & Arkin, R. M. (2014). Self-Concept Clarity : Buffering the Impact of Self-Evaluative Information. Individual Differences Research, 12(4), 180–190.
Hasanah, N., Nurachadijat, K., & Widaningsih, S. (2023). Pengaruh Konsep Diri Terhadap Kinerja Kepala Madrasah. Sinar Dunia: Jurnal Riset Sosial Humaniora Dan Ilmu Pendidikan, 2(2), 1–8.
Imelda, Sumarsih, & Connie. (2025). Peran Kepala Sekolah Dalam Pengelolaan Kurikulum Merdeka. Manajer Pendidikan : Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Pendidikan Program Pascasarjana, 19(01), 99–110.
Irawidiarti, Nurfadanti, I., Iryani, E., Mulyadi, & Muspawi, M. (2025). Strategis Pengambilan Keputusan Kepala Sekolah Untuk Meningkatkan Kinerja Guru Di SMPN 1 Kota Jambi. Jurnal Edu Research Indonesian Institute For Corporate Learning And Studies (IICLS), 6(3), 1437–1442.
Jamaluddin, Asmariani, & Murtopo, A. (2026). Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Manajemen Mutu Pendidikan Jamaluddin. Al-Zayn: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial & Hukum, 4(2), 3707–3722.
Januaripin, M., & Munasir. (2024). Kepercayaan Diri Sebagai Prediktor Prestasi Akademik Siswa. Kamaliyah: Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 2(1), 114–128.
Malahayati, R., Rismayani, R., Marsidin, S., & Irsyad. (2025). Pendekatan Rational Optimizing vs Satisficing dalam Pengambilan Keputusan Kepala Sekolah. JGK (Jurnal Guru Kita), 10(1), 201–218.
Manchiraju, S. (2026). Self-concept clarity : a comprehensive and integrative review. Front. Psychol, 17(June). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1822881
Muktamar, A., & Iipratiwi, A. I. (2023). Manajemen Pengambilan Keputusan dalam Perilaku Organisasi. Journal Of International Multidisciplinary Research, 1(1).
Nopembri, A. D. (2015). Fungsi Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja Guru. Manajer Pendidikan, 9(3).
Nordholm, D., Wermke, W., & Jarl, M. (2023). In the eye of the storm ? Mapping out a story of principals ’ decision-making in an era of decentralisation and re-centralisation. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 55(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2022.2104823
Novrizal, N., Supraha, W., & Tamam, A. M. (2024). Konsep Kepemimpinan dan Pengambilan Keputusan Kepala Sekolah ( Studi Kasus : MTs . Darul Ihya Ciomas ). Jurnal Kajian Islam Modern, 11(September), 29–37.
Nurfiza, S. R., Dewi, S. P., & Setiabudi, A. (2025). Pengambilan Keputusan Berbasis Manajemen Risiko Di Era Vuca: Analisis Konseptual Dan Tantangannya Bagi Sektor Pendidikan. AL-AFKAR: Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, I(I), 94–109.
Oh, S., & Roh, S. (2019). A Moderated Mediation Model of Self-Concept Clarity , Transformational Leadership , Perceived Work Meaningfulness , and Work Motivation. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(August), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01756
Paulina, T., & Patimah, S. (2023). Peran Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Pengembangan Manajemen Mutu Di SMAN 2 Gading Rejo. AT-TAJDID: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pemikiran Islam, 07(01), 189–206.
Permadani, D. R., Maisyaroh, & Mustiningsih. (2018). Kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam pembuatan keputusan. JAMP : Jurnal Administrasi Dan Manajemen Pendidikan, 1(September), 320–326.
Ramadhan, F., Istiqamah, F., Jannah, M. Z., & Nadila. (2025). Peran kepala sekolah dalam menunjang tata kelola satuan pendidikan melalui pengambilan keputusan di sekolah dasar. JURNAL MEDIA AKADEMIK (JMA), 3(6).
Rofiqi, A. A., & Muhlis, A. (2025). Peran Kepala Sekolah Dalam Memecahkan Suatu Masalah dan Mengambil Keputusan Menurut Perspektif Judat. Responsive: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 1(4), 305–314.
Safarina, A., & Widiyanah, I. (2025). Peran Kepemimpinan Pembelajaran Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa Di SMP Negeri 40 Semarang. Journal Inspirasi Manajemen Pendidikan, 12(Juni 2024), 656–666.
Savitri, S. D., & Wahyuni, S. (2024). Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Kepala Sekolah Dalam Mengambil Keputusan. Jurnal Tsaqofah; Jurnal Penelitian Guru Indonesia, 3, 650–659.
Setiabudi, A., Nurmalisa, Danuarta, M. ., & Lestari, Y. (2025). Penerapan Model Rasional dalam Pengambilan Keputusan Kepala Sekolah pada Era Kurikulum Merdeka. Journal of Education and Culture, 5(3), 19–29.
Skaalvik, C. (2020). relations with engagement , emotional exhaustion. Social Psychology of Education, 23(2), 479–498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09544-4
Suhaedin, E., Giatman, M., & Maksum, H. (2024). Manajemen Kepemimpinan dalam Meningkatkan Kualitas Pendidikan Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan ( SMK ). Journal of Education Research, 5(1), 170–179.
Talavera, L. M., Chocano, O. G., Junoy, G. S., & Molero, D. (2023). Self-Concept and Self-Esteem , Determinants of Greater Life Satisfaction in Mountain and Climbing Technicians and Athletes. Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ., 13, 1188–1201.
Tamm, A., Tõugu, P., & Tulviste, T. (2024). Self-concept at different stages of life : How do early and late adolescents and young , middle-aged , and older adults describe themselves ? International Journal of Behavioral Development, 48(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241254103
Uğurlar, P., & Wulff, D. U. (2022). Self-concept clarity is associated with social decision making performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 197, 111783. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111783
Umsiyah. (2023). Peran Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Akademik di Sekolah Dasar Negeri 02 Kabunan Kabupaten Pemalang. JIIP (Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan), 6(1), 487–495.
Wermke, W., Jarl, M., Prøitz, T. S., Nordholm, D., Wermke, W., Jarl, M., Prøitz, T. S., Nordholm, D., Jarl, M., & Prøitz, T. S. (2022). Comparing principal autonomy in time and space : modelling school leaders ’ decision making and control. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 54(6), 733–750. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2022.2127124
Yang, Y., Wang, H., Gong, S., & Qiu, Y. (2025). The Relationship Between Self-Concept Clarity and Meaning in Life Among Adolescents : Based on Variable-Centered Perspective and Person-Centered Perspective. Behavioral Sciences, 15(7), 1–15.
Yolanda, S., Gazali, H., Sabandi, A., & Alkadri, H. (2023). Efektivitas Pengambilan Keputusan Kepala Sekolah : Ditinjau Gaya , Etika dan Kecerdasan Emosional. INNOVATIVE: Journal Of Social Science Research Volume, 3, 775–786.
Copyright (c) 2026 Paedagogia: Jurnal Pendidikan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The author agrees to the following conditions upon publishing a work to Paedagogia: Jurnal Pendidikan:
1. Each article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. The author(s) recognizes that Paedagogia: Jurnal Pendidikan has the right to be the first to publish under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This license permits the copying and redistribution of this material in any form or format, as well as the composition, modification, and creation of derivative works of this material for any purpose, but Non commercial, as long as the author is credited with the original work.
2. Authors may submit articles separately or arrange for non-exclusive distribution of manuscripts previously published in this journal in other forms (e.g., to the author's institutional repository, publication in books, etc. ), provided that the manuscript is acknowledged as having been published first in the Paedagogia: Jurnal Pendidikan.
3. A copyright submission agreement must attach each approved manuscript prior to publication. You may obtain the form for the copyright submission agreement here (INA) (EN).



























This work is licensed under a