Strategi Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah dalam Peningkatan Mutu Pendidikan di SMA Islam Al-Azhar BSD

Abstract

The quality of secondary education is not solely determined by classroom instructional processes but is strongly influenced by the leadership of school principals, who serve as key drivers of quality culture. Recent studies indicate that transformational leadership, instructional leadership, and academic supervision play a significant role in improving teacher motivation, school climate, and student learning outcomes. However, in the context of Islamic schools, there exists a critical challenge, namely the dual responsibility to maintain academic quality while simultaneously fostering Islamic values among all members of the school community. This condition requires principals to integrate Islamic leadership values—such as role modeling, servant leadership, and spiritual leadership—with data-driven managerial practices and systematic academic supervision.In response to this issue, the present study aims to analyze the principal’s leadership strategies in improving educational quality at SMA Islam Al-Azhar BSD, with a specific focus on teacher professional development, academic supervision, quality culture building, and the incorporation of Islamic values into school policies and programs.This research employs a qualitative ethnographic approach using Spradley’s Developmental Research Sequence (DRS), involving Grand Tour observation, in-depth ethnographic interviews, focused observations, and data validation through triangulation. Research participants include the principal as the key informant, senior teachers, novice teachers, students (including student council representatives), parents, and the school foundation management, in order to capture comprehensive perspectives on Islamic value-based leadership practices.The findings are expected to contribute academically to the development of leadership models for Islamic schools in urban settings and to offer practical recommendations for improving educational quality in private Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia.