Breaking Barriers: How Women’s Transformational Leadership Enhances Educational Quality

Rubini Rubini
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33650/al-tanzim.v9i2.11033



Abstract

This research aims to examine the role of women’s transformational leadership in enhancing educational quality at the International Islamic School. The study examines how female leadership, grounded in transformational principles, fosters both academic excellence and the integration of Islamic values in education. Despite the increasing presence of women in leadership roles, there is limited research on how their leadership styles impact educational outcomes in Islamic institutions. Utilizing a qualitative approach, this case study analyzes interviews, document reviews, and literature-based case studies with Thematic analysis. The findings reveal that women’s transformational leadership has a positive impact on educational quality by fostering a vision of academic and moral development, engaging stakeholders, and overcoming gender barriers. The leadership promotes an inclusive environment, encourages professional growth, and ensures the integration of Islamic values into modern curricula. The study contributes valuable insights into the intersection of leadership, gender, and education in Islamic contexts, offering recommendations for promoting transformational leadership among women in educational institutions. This research highlights the importance of adopting leadership practices that strike a balance between academic rigor and religious principles in faith-based schools.

Keywords

Women Leadership, Educational Quality, Gender Barriers

Full Text:

PDF

References

Ahmed, E. I. (2023). Systematic Review of Research on Educational Leadership and Management in Muslim Societies. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(1), 52–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220973658

Aini, N. K., Ridlwan Nasir, M., & Hilmy, M. (2021). Transformational Leadership of Nyai – Case Study in Roudlotun Nasyiin Islamic Boarding School. Journal Women’s Entrepreneurship and Education, 2021(1–2), 164–173. https://doi.org/10.28934/jwee21.12.pp164-173

Alqahtani, T. H. (2021). Women’s Leadership in Higher Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Entrepreneurship & Organization Management, 10(1), 1–5.

Arar, K., Sawalhi, R., & Yilmaz, M. (2022). The Research on Islamic-Based Educational Leadership since 1990: An International Review of Empirical Evidence and a Future Research Agenda. Religions, 13(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13010042

Brooks, M. C., & Ezzani, M. D. (2022). Islamic School Leadership: Advancing a Framework for Critical Spirituality. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 35(3), 319–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2021.1930265

Cardozo, M. T. A. L., & Srimulyani, E. (2021). Analysing The Spectrum of Female Education Leaders’ Agency in Islamic Boarding Schools in Post-Conflict Aceh, Indonesia. Gender and Education, 33(7), 847–863. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2018.1544361

Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2018). Thematic Analysis. Journal of Transformative Education, 16(3), 175–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344618777367

Dian, D., Faizal, I., & Hasanah, N. D. (2022). Leadership and Capacity Building; The Construction of Madrasah Quality Improvement. AL-TANZIM: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 6(1), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.33650/al-tanzim.v6i1.3179

Effendi, Y. R., Bafadal, I., Sudana, I. N. D., & Arifin, I. (2021). Investigation of The Role of Principal’s Transformational Leadership for Strengthening Student Character in Indonesia. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 9(2), 29–45.

Ezzani, M. D., Brooks, M. C., Yang, L., & Bloom, A. (2023). Islamic School Leadership and Social Justice: an International Review of The Literature. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 26(5), 745–777. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2021.2009037

Fansori, R., Wardhana, K. E., & Bighas, K. A. (2024). The Concept of Leadership in the Philosophy of Educational Management from the Perspective of the Qur’an and Hadith. Fikroh: Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Pendidikan Islam, 17(1), 11–28. https://doi.org/10.37812/fikroh.v17i1.1449

Irawan, M. F., Noptario, N., Hulkin, M., & Saiful Nazri bin Nordin, T. (2024). Women in Leadership: Exploring Potential and Challenges in the Islamic Context. An-Nisa Jurnal Kajian Perempuan Dan Keislaman, 17(1), 55–66. https://doi.org/10.35719/annisa.v17i1.234

Islam, M. A., Hack-Polay, D., Rahman, M., Jantan, A. H., Dal Mas, F., & Kordowicz, M. (2023). Gender and Leadership in Public Higher Education in South Asia: Examining the Individual, Socio-Cultural and Organizational Barriers to Female Inclusion. Studies in Higher Education, 48(8), 1197–1215. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2187771

Junaidi, M., & Suryani, K. (2022). Education for Women in The Global Era of Islamic Perspectives. QALAMUNA: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial, Dan Agama, 14(1), 849–866. https://doi.org/10.37680/qalamuna.v14i1.4790

Koburtay, T., Abuhussein, T., & Sidani, Y. M. (2023). Women Leadership, Culture, and Islam: Female Voices from Jordan. Journal of Business Ethics, 183(2), 347–363. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05041-0

Lahmar, F. (2024). Redefining Leadership: The Role of Spirituality and Motherhood in Muslim Women’s Educational Leadership. Religions, 15(12), 1565. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121565

Leko, M. M., Cook, B. G., & Cook, L. (2021). Qualitative Methods in Special Education Research. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 36(4), 278–286. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12268

Lokarieva, H., & Chorna, H. (2022). Transformation of Value Orientations of Higher Education Applicants in Ukraine. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 11(3), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v11n3p95

Lopes Cardozo, M. T. A., Affiat, R. A., Zaman, F., Irawani, M., & Srimulyani, E. (2022). Silent Struggles: Women Education Leaders’ Agency for Peacebuilding in Islamic Schools in Post-Conflict Aceh. Journal of Peace Education, 19(2), 158–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/17400201.2022.2052826

Maheshwari, G., & Nayak, R. (2022). Women Leadership in Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions: An Exploratory Study on Barriers and Enablers for Career Enhancement. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(5), 758–775. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220945700

Mulya, T. W., & Sakhiyya, Z. (2021). ‘Leadership is a Sacred Matter’: Women Leaders Contesting and Contextualising Neoliberal Meritocracy in The Indonesian Academia. Gender and Education, 33(7), 930–945. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2020.1802407

Nguyen, T. T., & Taylor, J. (2022). Enriching Transactional Leadership with Public Values. Public Administration Review, 82(6), 1058–1076. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13495

Proudfoot, K. (2023). Inductive/Deductive Hybrid Thematic Analysis in Mixed Methods Research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 17(3), 308–326. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898221126816

Putra, D. I. A., Maspika, S., & Maghfiroh, U. (2021). Women, Islamic Boarding Schools, and Communications: Interpersonal Approach of Islamic Boarding School Leadership. INNOVATIO: Journal for Religious Innovation Studies, 21(1), 75–84. https://doi.org/10.30631/innovatio.v21i1.127

Rasyidi, A. H., & Nasri, U. (2023). Muslim Sasak Female Scholars: Empowerment and Strengthening of Islamic Education in the Lombok Community, Indonesia. Path of Science, 9(12), 3029–3039. https://doi.org/10.22178/pos.99-8

Samier, E., & Elkaleh, E. (2021). Towards a Model of Muslim Women’s Management Empowerment: Philosophical and Historical Evidence and Critical Approaches. Administrative Sciences, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ADMSCI11020047

Siregar, Z. A. B. (2023). Principal Leadership Styles in Improving The Quality of Education in Lhokseumawe Aceh Indonesia. Human Resources Management and Services, 5(1), 3340. https://doi.org/10.18282/hrms.v5i1.3340

Susilawati, Y., Suhaimi, S., & Noorhapizah, N. (2021). Relationship of Transformational Leadership, Interpersonal Communication with Teacher Performance Through Teacher Discipline. J Adv Educ Philos, 5(11), 357–363.

Taherdoost, H. (2022). What are Different Research Approaches? Comprehensive Review of Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Research, Their Applications, Types, and Limitations. Journal of Management Science & Engineering Research, 5(1), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.30564/jmser.v5i1.4538

Tang, W. G., Stordeur, S., Vandenberghe, C., & D’hoore, W. (2024). Leaders’ Individualized Consideration, Team Commitment and Patient Loyalty: The Role of Social and Task-Related Contexts. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97(3), 1185–1211. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12511

Wang, T., Olivier, D. F., & Chen, P. (2023). Creating Individual and Organizational Readiness for Change: Conceptualization of System Readiness for Change in School Education. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 26(6), 1037–1061. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2020.1818131

Zainuddin, N., Palinggi, Y., & Made Agung Dwijatenaya, I. B. (2022). The Role of Leadership Principles in Increasing Teacher Performance at Tsanawiyah Negeri 1 Madrasah, Kutai Kartanegara Regency. Journal of World Science, 1(9), 791–808. https://doi.org/10.58344/jws.v1i9.100


Dimensions, PlumX, and Google Scholar Metrics

10.33650/al-tanzim.v9i2.11033


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Rubini

Creative Commons License
 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Al-Tanzim : Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam
Published by Lembaga Penerbitan, Penelitian, dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LP3M) of Nurul Jadid University, Paiton, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia.