Reframing Transformational Leadership in the Cultural Adaptation of PLQ and TTQ in Indonesian Schools

Abstract

This research reviewed the studies systematically on the lack of items in the two popular Western tools, the Principal Leadership Questionnaire (PLQ) and the Transformational Teaching Questionnaire (TTQ), to determine cultural and institutional factors that render these concepts irrelevant when used in the Indonesian educational context. The research design used was a mixed-methods, sequential-exploratory design, which involved four sequential stages that included (1) translation and expert panel review; (2) a pilot test with 488 teachers; (3) exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis; and (4) qualitative think-aloud interviews with 20 teachers. It was observed that 24 items were eliminated because they were not compatible with the Indonesian high-power distance, collectivism values, and preference towards high-context communication. Four cultural friction themes were identified: (1) the items of the Intellectual Stimulation theme were perceived as provocative to authority, (2) individualistic items opposed the culture of collective humility, (3) the themes of "Individualised Consideration" were opposed to the culture of indirect expression, and (4) items of direct communication. The revised 36-item PLQ-Indonesia and TTQ-Indonesia showed good psychometric fit parameters (CFI=.94, RMSEA=.05) and exhibited cultural validity, which operationalised a construct that is referred to as Collective Moral Leadership. These results emphasise the idea that international global leadership scales can be adapted successfully only with the help of cultural translation and not just linguistic change. This research project provides a methodological paradigm to other non-Western settings such as Malaysia in strengthening the validity of the leadership studies, shaping culturally based policy formulation, and developing contextually relevant leadership. The analysis should be extended by future research abiding by cross-nation surveys to test the modified models as a way of making global leadership theories gain independence and viability that attains global validity but is specific to the cultural settings of a particular country, termed asglobal validity.