Determinants of Link and Match in Vocational High Schools: The Role of Effective Leadership, Curriculum Management, and Teachers’ Professional Competence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62710/fqw34416Keywords:
Effective Leadership, Curriculum Management, Teachers’ Professional Competence, Link and Match, Vocational ManagementAbstract
The successful implementation of the link and match policy in vocational education requires effective leadership, adaptive curriculum management, and teachers' professional competence. However, empirical evidence examining their combined contribution remains limited, particularly in Indonesian vocational high schools. This study analyzed the effects of effective leadership, curriculum management, and teachers' professional competence on the implementation of link and match in public vocational high schools in Grobogan Regency, Indonesia. A quantitative correlational design was employed involving 166 teachers selected through proportional random sampling from three public vocational high schools. Data were collected using validated questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression after meeting the assumptions of normality, linearity, multicollinearity, and heteroscedasticity. The results indicated that all three variables had positive and significant effects on link and match implementation. Teachers' professional competence showed the strongest contribution, emphasizing its role in translating curriculum into industry-relevant learning. Collectively, the three variables explained 98.2% of the variance in link and match implementation. These findings highlight the importance of integrating instructional leadership, curriculum management, and continuous teacher professional development to strengthen vocational education quality and better align school outcomes with industry needs.
Downloads
References
Admiraal, W., Schenke, W., De Jong, L., Emmelot, Y., & Sligte, H. (2021). Schools as professional learning communities: What can schools do to support professional development of their teachers? Professional Development in Education, 47(4), 684–698. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1665573
Arbah, N., Wilson, A. B., & Ta'ali. (2023). Pre-employment quality analysis through the concept of link and match for SMK teachers. Jurnal Vokasi Informatika, 3(1), 30–38. https://doi.org/10.24036/javit.v3i1.148
Asrin, A., Ramdhani, A., Muhaimi, L., & Maulyda, M. A. (2022). Principals' leadership strategy to improve link and match quality for vocational education. Jurnal Kependidikan: Penelitian Inovasi Pembelajaran, 6(1), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.21831/jk.v6i1.40628
Bogler, R., & Nir, A. E. (2025). Direct and indirect effects of school principals' instructional leadership on 21st-century pedagogy. Journal of School Leadership, 35(4), 240–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/10526846251343273
Carti, C., Pujiyati, W., & Senjaya, A. J. (2023). Pengaruh kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dan manajemen sarana prasarana terhadap kinerja guru sekolah dasar negeri. Edum Journal, 6(1), 80–92. https://doi.org/10.31943/edumjournal.v6i1.140
Dese, A., Murwantini, S., & Pancawati, R. (2024). Evaluasi program pembelajaran link and match SMK dengan dunia usaha/industri. STEAM Engineering, 5(2), 118–124. https://doi.org/10.37304/jptm.v5i2.12976
El-Hamamsy, L., Monnier, E. C., Avry, S., Chessel-Lazzarotto, F., Liégeois, G., Bruno, B., ... & Mondada, F. (2024). An adapted cascade model to scale primary school digital education curricular reforms and teacher professional development programs. Education and Information Technologies, 29(9), 10391–10436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12043-6
Fadli, F., & Iskarim, M. (2024). Trend dan tantangan manajemen kurikulum pendidikan Islam. Lentera Pendidikan: Jurnal Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, 27(1), 178–190. https://doi.org/10.24252/lp.2024v27n1i11
Hakim, R., & Haryana, K. (2021). Peranan sertifikasi keahlian dalam memantapkan kompetensi profesional guru sekolah menengah kejuruan teknik kendaraan ringan. Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi Otomotif, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.21831/jpvo.v3i2.40436
Hallinger, P., Gümüş, S., & Bellibaş, M. Ş. (2020). Are principals instructional leaders yet? A science map of the knowledge base on instructional leadership, 1940–2018. Scientometrics, 122(3), 1629–1650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03360-5
Harris, A., Jones, M., & Crick, T. (2020). Curriculum leadership: A critical contributor to school and system improvement. School Leadership & Management, 40(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2020.1704470
He, P., Guo, F., & Abazie, G. A. (2024). School principals' instructional leadership as a predictor of teacher's professional development. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9, Article 63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00290-0
Hermawan, W., Zam'an, P., & Jabar, R. (2024). Manajemen kurikulum dalam peningkatan kualitas pendidikan. Journal of Education Research, 5(1), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.37985/jer.v5i1.873
Hikmah, N., Yuliejantiningsih, Y., & Miyono, N. (2023). Pengaruh keterampilan manajer, motivasi kerja guru, dan iklim organisasi sekolah terhadap kompetensi profesional guru kejuruan SMK bidang keahlian bisnis dan manajemen di Kabupaten Jepara. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.26877/jmp.v12i3.17119
Laspita, R., Indriyanto, I., & Nasrul, N. (2024). Analisis kompetensi profesional guru dalam menerapkan pembelajaran tematik di sekolah dasar. Indonesian Journal of Multidisciplinary on Social and Technology, 2(1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.31004/ijmst.v2i1.290
Mahram, M., Muhammad, M., & Ribahan, R. (2023). Pengaruh keterampilan manajerial kepala madrasah, kompensasi guru, dan kompetensi profesional guru terhadap kinerja guru. PALAPA, 11(1), 58–78. https://doi.org/10.36088/palapa.v11i1.3056
Marlyna, D., Mardizal, J., Giatman, M., & Waskito. (2025). Analisis kepemimpinan digital kepala sekolah dan dampaknya terhadap guru produktif di SMK Negeri 1 Ampek Nagari. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i3.10508
Maulina, M., & Yoenanto, N. H. (2022). Optimalisasi link and match sebagai upaya relevansi SMK dengan dunia usaha dan dunia industri (DUDI). Jurnal Akuntabilitas Manajemen Pendidikan, 10(1), 28–37. https://doi.org/10.21831/jamp.v10i1.48008
Nasution, F., Pohan, A. E., Nugroho, T., Rafii, A., & Mery, S. (2022). Manajemen implementasi program link and match di SMK Negeri 1 Batam. Cahaya Pendidikan, 8(2), 74–87. https://doi.org/10.33373/chypend.v8i2.4498
Ningrum, M. (2025). Efektivitas kebijakan link and match dalam pendidikan vokasi: Menakar kesiapan lulusan memasuki dunia kerja. Jurnal Ilmu Manajemen dan Pendidikan, 5(1), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.30872/jimpian.v5i1.4729
Park, S., Lee, Y. R., Nelson, G., Cook, M. A., & Doabler, C. T. (2025). Teacher professional development and student mathematics achievement: A meta-analysis of the effects and moderators. Education Sciences, 15(9), Article 1177. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091177
Priestley, M., Philippou, S., Alvunger, D., & Soini, T. (2021). Curriculum making: A conceptual framing. In Curriculum making in Europe: Policy and practice within and across diverse contexts (pp. 1–28). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83867-735-020211002
Priyono, F. H., Rahmawati, A., & Pudyaningtyas, A. R. (2021). Implementasi manajemen kurikulum pada lembaga pendidikan anak usia dini. Kumara Cendekia, 9(4), 212–217. https://doi.org/10.20961/kc.v9i4.53280
Pujiyati, W., & Senjaya, D. Y. (2025). Implementation of principal leadership, the role of school committees, and their impacts on the success of school-based management. Indonesian Research Journal in Education, 9(2), 1159–1174. https://doi.org/10.22437/irje.v9i02.46379
Putri, S. A., Syamsuddin, M. M., & Zuhro, N. S. (2021). Implementasi manajemen kurikulum pada lembaga pendidikan anak usia dini. Kumara Cendekia, 9(4), 254–263. https://doi.org/10.20961/kc.v9i4.54982
Putri, T. F., Santa, S., & Mirawati, M. (2023). Peningkatan kompetensi profesional guru melalui pelatihan penerapan aplikasi Microsoft Sway sebagai media pembelajaran. Kalam Cendekia: Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.20961/jkc.v11i3.80607
Rizalita, R. (2025). Pengembangan WEBGIS untuk optimalisasi link and match SMK agribisnis dan industri pangan di Jawa Barat. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi Informasi dan Vokasional, 7(2), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.23960/jptiv.v7i2.33713
Sahlberg, P. (2021). Finnish lessons 3.0: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland? Teachers College Press.
Sari, R. P., Dacholfany, M. I., Khushk, A., & Dewi, W. U. (2025). Implementasi konsep link and match 8+i pada program SMK Pusat Keunggulan di SMK jurusan pemasaran. Sciencestatistics: Journal of Statistics, Probability, and Its Application, 3(1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.24127/sciencestatistics.v3i1.8158
Septeri, D. I., Samsuharjo, Apriyani, T., Raharjo, P., & Patria, R. (2024). Analisis gaya kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam meningkatkan kinerja guru. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengembangan Sains dan Humaniora, 8(2), 103–113. https://doi.org/10.23887/jppsh.v8i2.72759
Siliņa-Jasjukeviča, G., Lūsēna-Ezera, I., Iliško, D., & Surikova, S. (2025). Promoting effective vocational education and training teachers' professional development and its transfer to practice: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 15(5), Article 596. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050596
Susanto, S., & Pujiyati, W. (2024). Pengaruh kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dan kinerja guru terhadap mutu sekolah. Edum Journal, 7(1), 123–139. https://doi.org/10.31943/edumjournal.v7i1.183
Ventista, O. M., & Brown, C. (2023). Teachers' professional learning and its impact on students' learning outcomes: Findings from a systematic review. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), Article 100565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100565
Voogt, J. M., Pieters, J. M., & Handelzalts, A. (2021). Teacher collaboration in curriculum design teams: Effects, mechanisms, and conditions. Educational Research and Evaluation, 22(3–4), 121–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2016.1247725
Wahyuni, N., Ernawati, E., & Mardizal, J. (2025). Nilai-nilai kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam mengelola organisasi sekolah di SMK: Kajian literatur. Journal on Education, 7(2), 10385–10391. https://doi.org/10.31004/joe.v7i2.8026
Wibisono, G., Wijanarka, B. S., & Theophile, H. (2020). The link and match between the competency of vocational high school graduates and the industry on CAD/CAM and CNC. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi dan Kejuruan, 26(1), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.21831/jptk.v26i1.27932
Yuliati, E., Tamrin, A., & Nurhidayati, A. (2021). Pengaruh persepsi siswa mengenai kompetensi guru terhadap prestasi belajar siswa pada mata pelajaran sistem komputer di SMK Negeri 1 Banyudono. Indonesian Journal of Civil Engineering Education, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.20961/ijcee.v7i2.61100
Zamiri, M., & Esmaeili, A. (2024). Methods and technologies for supporting knowledge sharing within learning communities: A systematic literature review. Administrative Sciences, 14(1), Article 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14010017
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Erik Darius Sulivanto, Nurkolis Nurkolis, Supriyono PS (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.







