Principal Entrepreneurial Leadership: Appropriating the Public-Private Partnership in Education (ePPP) Amid a Crisis

Rooted in an educational anthropology perspective, this research explores how school principals demonstrate entrepreneurial leadership through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in education during crises. Utilizing a case study approach, the researchers examined how principals implemented PPPs by conducting focus group discussions, interviews, classroom observations, document analysis, and social media observations, as well as chatting through Facebook Messenger. The findings indicated that principals are attuned to external factors such as health crises, government policies, and market conditions, while also factoring in their internal resources and support. This awareness results in the implementation of locally adapted strategies, referred to as “copy-the-correct-answer,” which involve sharing effective marketing techniques to achieve enrollment targets across the school’s campuses.At the macro level, education marketing is strategically utilized to foster relationships with students and parents, thereby creating demand and promoting a positive reputation. In contrast, the micro level emphasizes the integration of marketing across disciplines, aiming to deliver high-quality service through caring relationships and demonstrating teaching competence during the pandemic. Within this framework, entrepreneurial leadership is closely intertwined with instructional leadership. Given the decline in private school enrollment and the ongoing education crisis, there is an urgent need to reconsider intrapreneurial leadership, emphasizing social responsibility and quality instruction within the PPP landscape in education.