Islamic school leadership: a conceptual framework

ABSTRACT

It is urgent that education scholars explore how Islamic values shape (and are shaped by) Muslim school leader beliefs, given the heightened anti-Muslim sentiment present in western contexts. Yet, there is a lack of scholarship on non-western approaches to leading schools. To address this gap, we drew from extant Islamic and educational leadership literature to develop a conceptual framework for Islamic school leadership. The framework is grounded in Islamic values and beliefs that cross socio-religious and contextual boundaries. Outside the framework are Islamic leader values. Inside the framework are four inner domains that influence the encircling values. Some beliefs will hold more sway that others, which will provide new insight into how Muslim leaders perceive their work and how this may influence their practice. Our expectation is that this framework will be tested, refined, and interrogated through empirical inquiry, thereby furthering scholarship in non-western contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Islam
• Islamic school leadership
• school leadership
• conceptual framework

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Melanie C. Brooks is a Senior Lecturer at Monash University. She has conducted research in Egypt, Thailand, The Philippines, Indonesia, and the United States using sociological theories as a way to understand issues related to religion, conflict, multicultural education and leadership. Her work is published in International Journal of Leadership in Education, International Journal of Educational Management, Religion & Education, Teachers College Record, Educational Policy, Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Educational Management Administration & Leadership, and Planning and Changing. She was awarded a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Award for 2015–2016 to The Republic of the Philippines.

Agus Mutohar is a doctoral student at Monash University and a recipient of Indonesian Educational Endowment Fund (LPDP) from 2014 to 2018. He was awarded Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program at the University of Texas at Austin from 2010 to 2012. Prior to pursuing master's degree in the U.S, he studied at Walisongo State Islamic University majoring in Islamic education. His research focuses on the sociological of Indonesian school to understand interdisciplinary issues related to religious education and technology in Indonesian schools.

Notes

1. Arabic plural form of hadith is ahadith.