Transformational Leadership of School Principals in Enhancing Teacher Professionalism: A Qualitative Review in the Context of Islamic Education
Abstract
Teacher professionalism plays a crucial role in improving educational quality, particularly in Islamic education, which emphasizes the integration of pedagogical competence, professional ethics, and spiritual values. One of the strategic factors influencing teacher professionalism is school principal leadership, especially transformational leadership that focuses on human resource development. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the strategies of transformational leadership practiced by school principals in enhancing teacher professionalism within the context of Islamic education. A qualitative approach with a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) design was employed by reviewing reputable scholarly articles published between 2015 - 2025. Literature searches were conducted using Google Scholar, Scopus, DOAJ, and Web of Science, applying systematic inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify dominant patterns and themes. The findings reveal that transformational leadership in Islamic education is strongly integrated with prophetic values, namely amanah (integrity), fathanah (intellectual wisdom), and tawaddhu (humility). These values are reflected in three main leadership strategies: moral and ethical role modeling, intellectual stimulation through value-based instructional innovation, and individualized consideration focusing on teachers’ well-being and professional development. The study highlights that transformational leadership in Islamic education extends beyond performance improvement to encompass character building and the reinforcement of Islamic identity. This research contributes conceptually to the development of a contextual and value-oriented framework for Islamic educational leadership.
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