Navigating the Future of Rducation: Why is Research in School Management Important

Educational transformation is inevitable amid the rapid pace of change. Schools, as institutions that shape the future of the nation, are required not only to keep up with developments, but also to be pioneers in innovation. To achieve this, a solid and proven foundation is needed: Research in School Management. The following essay will thoroughly explore why research is no longer just an academic activity, but a vital foundation that navigates every policy and strategic step towards a more relevant and quality future of education.

First: The future of education is not a passive destiny, but rather a map that must be carefully drawn and navigated. At the heart of this navigation lies the crucial role of research in school management. Research, which etymologically means "to seek again," is a systematic, logical, and empirical process for obtaining valid knowledge. In the context of educational institution management, research serves as a compass and rudder that guides schools from merely surviving to thriving. The importance of research can be seen in its ability to transform intuition-based management practices into evidence-based management. Without research, strategic decisions such as curriculum selection, budget allocation, or teacher professional development are prone to being influenced by personal assumptions, limited experience, or even institutional bias. Research serves to reduce this bias by presenting objective and measurable data. For example, instead of simply guessing which teacher training programs are most effective, research can quantitatively measure the impact of various types of training on teaching performance and student learning outcomes, ensuring that resource investments are on target.

Second: Furthermore, educational management research performs a vital dual function, namely theoretical and practical functions. Theoretically, research continues to enrich the body of knowledge in educational management, ensuring that management concepts and models remain relevant to social, technological, and labor market dynamics. Stagnant knowledge will render educational management practices obsolete. On the other hand, the practical function of research is to provide concrete solutions to real problems faced by schools---ranging from high dropout rates, low motivation to learn, to inefficient management of facilities and infrastructure. Every research finding is an accurate diagnosis, and every recommendation is a specific prescription for solving these problems.

Third: Most crucially for the future, research is a pillar of innovation and strategic policy. Schools that want to adapt to the digital age, for example, cannot simply adopt technology. Research is needed to test the feasibility, effectiveness, and scalability of an innovation before it is implemented on a mass scale. Research also allows successful findings to be replicated, strengthening their validity and enabling the generalization of solutions to other school contexts. Thus, every policy that is created---from the implementation of a new assessment system to the development of extracurricular programs---has a strong scientific basis, ensuring that schools are not merely experimenting, but moving forward with confidence.

Research in educational management is a crucial long-term investment. It not only fulfills academic requirements but is also a driving force for school quality, efficiency, and innovation. Schools that successfully navigate the future are those that make research a culture, use it to make evidence-based decisions, and continuously seek (research) the best ways to achieve their educational goals. Advancing school management means prioritizing research, because only with valid evidence can we build a solid educational foundation for future generations.

 

 

*) This text is presented from the Teaching Module of the Research Methodology Course in Islamic Educational Management Part 2: Navigating the Future of Education: Why is Research in School Management Important?. Lecturer: Prof. Dr. H. A. Rusdiana., M.M. (https://digilib.uinsgd.ac.id/id/eprint/121673)