Social Competency Development of Teachers at State Junior High Schools in Padang Timur District

Pengembangan Kompetensi Sosial Guru pada Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri di Kecamatan Padang Timur

Abstract

The development of teachers' social competence is an important effort in improving teacher professionalism and supporting the quality of educational services. Teachers' social competence enables teachers to communicate effectively, establish positive relationships with school stakeholders, and adapt to the school environment. However, previous studies indicate that the development of teachers' social competence has not been implemented optimally in many schools. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the development of teachers' social competence at public junior high schools in Padang Timur District. This study employed a quantitative descriptive research design. The population consisted of 248 teachers, and a sample of 159 teachers was selected using proportional stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire that met the validity and reliability requirements. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by calculating the mean score. The findings revealed that the development of teachers' social competence was categorized as good, with an overall mean score of 4.21. The development of teachers' effective communication skills obtained a mean score of 4.20, the development of teachers' effective social interaction skills obtained a mean score of 4.23, and the development of teachers' adaptability to the surrounding environment obtained a mean score of 4.22. These findings indicate that the development of teachers' social competence implemented by school principals has supported teachers in strengthening their social competence. Therefore, the development of teachers' social competence should be maintained and continuously improved to enhance teacher professionalism and the quality of education.