Dr. Bambang Sumintono Urges Indonesian Researchers to Prioritize Quality in Educational Leadership Studies
August 02, 2024
Contributor: Supriyono | Editor: Dadi Darmadi | Photo: Achmad Jatnika
Dr. Bambang Sumintono, Head of the PhD in Education program at UIII, has called on Indonesian researchers to focus on quality over quantity in researching educational leadership. His recommendation stems from a systematic literature review he conducted, which was published as a book chapter by Routledge.
The chapter, published in 2024, is part of the book “Educational Leadership and Asian Culture,” edited by Peng Liu and Lei Mee Thien. In this work, Dr. Sumintono, alongside his two colleagues—Hasan Hariri from the University of Lampung, and Erika Setyanti Kusumaputri from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, highlights the tendency of local researchers to prioritize the volume of research output rather than the quality of their academic works.
| Read the full article: School Leadership and Indonesian Culture: Revealing the Local Knowledge Development in Post-New Order Indonesia |
A unique aspect of Dr. Sumintono’s chapter is its focus on the “hidden literature”, which are research articles written in the Indonesian language and stored in the GARUDA Digital Reference Collection, managed by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. By examining these often-overlooked resources, the chapter sheds light on insights that are critical for both local and international scholars.
“The review indicates a significant increase in publications on educational leadership starting in 2013, coinciding with the Directorate General of Higher Education’s mandate requiring scientific publications as a prerequisite for graduate students’ graduation and for lecturers’ promotion,” Dr. Sumintono noted.
The policy, he admitted, has led to a surge in the number of publications. However, it has also had unintended consequences. The rapid increase in research output has, in some cases, led to a rise in conference proceedings and potential predatory publications, which could harm the reputation of Indonesian researchers.
“This shows that the ‘frog leap’ policy to international publications in fact needs to be done in stages, whereby empowering local and national journal publications should be the first priority,” Dr. Sumintono advised.
UIII, through its Faculty of Education, is dedicated to equipping scholars with the skills necessary to become outstanding researchers. The faculty offers four concentrations, one of which is Educational Policy, Management, and Leadership. This concentration is designed to prepare students for leadership roles and policy-related work. Through this concentration, UIII aims to cultivate a new generation of education leaders who can drive positive change in society.