Kepemimpinan Transformasional dan Pembiasaan Positif: Memperkuat Disiplin dan Sikap Siswa di Sekolah Menengah Atas

Abstract

This study explores how transformational leadership shapes positive habituation that strengthens students’ discipline and attitudes in a senior high school located in Jakarta. Moral and behavioural issues among adolescents, such as tardiness, low respect toward teachers, and inconsistent self-regulation, continue to be reported across Indonesian schools. This research responds to the need for leadership-based character education that integrates moral modelling, structured routines, and restorative discipline. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through non-participant observation of daily routines, semi-structured interviews with the principal, teachers, and students, and document analysis of disciplinary records and routine schedules. The study site was a public senior high school in Jakarta with diverse socio-religious backgrounds. Data were analyzed through thematic coding and triangulation to ensure credibility and depth. The results reveal four major patterns: (1) consistent leadership visibility; (2) religious and reflective; (3) a restorative point-based system; and (4) behavioural improvements emerge. Transformational leadership operates synergistically with moral culture to convert external rules into lived virtues. The study was limited to one school and a qualitative design, constraining generalizability. Future research should involve longitudinal or comparative approaches. Nevertheless, the findings support leadership-based moral education models applicable to Indonesian schools.