LEVERAGING OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE IN THE EDUCATION MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING

The development in information technology has now moved from the first wave that emphasises on computer technical skills to the second wave which focuses on the application and management aspects This paper aims to investigate the use of learning management system among future school heads in education management and leadership. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on developing a learning management system using open source software - Moodle. This phase emphasized on the processes involved in designing and developing the learning management system prototype called E-Headship. The second phase evaluated participants' suitability in becoming future school leaders and managers through the use of E-Headship for the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) programme. E-Headship was then evaluated in terms of the applications of the learning management system. Sixty (60) participants from Institut Aminudin Baki (IAB) - an institute for training school administrators took part in the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistic focusing on reporting of the results in percentile, means, standard deviation and frequency. As it compared the performance results of two groups, a simple T-test was also performed. The results revealed that e-Headship has succeeded in promoting teaching and learning strategies to a higher degree. It is hoped that the use of such prototype will help the education institution in designing and developing better programmes that could benefit the participants at large.