Online Scenario-Based Training to Strengthen Principals’ Moral Leadership in School Governance: Multi-Site Evidence from Indonesia

Integrity risks in Indonesian schools remain high in BOS budgeting, procurement, and transparency, eroding public trust and complicating principals’ decisions. This study designs and evaluates an online scenario-based learning (O-SBL) moral-leadership model focused on school-governance dilemmas involving BOS procedures, vendor relations, conflicts of interest, documentation, and stakeholder disclosure. Using a multi-site quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design, 90 principals completed two core modules followed by four weeks of micro-scenarios. Competence was assessed with a 40-item situational judgment test covering seven integrity and governance domains. Results showed large gains: mean scores increased from 126.24 (SD = 14.01) to 173.52 (SD = 13.79), a 47.28-point (37.45%) improvement; Wilcoxon Z = −8.239, p < .001; 100% of participants improved; effect size r = .87. We conclude that O-SBL, combining authentic cases, structured reflection, and a common feedback rubric, substantially strengthens principals’ moral-leadership competencies across diverse contexts. The model is ready for integration into principal certification and continuing professional development, particularly to enhance BOS transparency, procurement fairness, and stakeholder accountability.