Leadership in Educational Benchmarking: A Case Study on Principal Leadership at Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Pekanbaru

Herlina Permata Sari, Yayah Rahyasih, Asep Suryana, Diding Nurdin

Abstract


This study explores the role of principal leadership in implementing benchmarking at MTs Fadhilah Pekanbaru, focusing on public relations. Unlike conventional benchmarking studies that compare multiple aspects between schools, this research adopts a targeted approach, emphasizing the impact of public relations on school performance and reputation. A qualitative descriptive research design was used, centering on the principal and deputy principal responsible for public relations. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed using data collection, reduction, display, and conclusion techniques. The findings were then compared with relevant theories and prior research on benchmarking in education. The study found that implementing benchmarking in collaboration with MAN 1 Pekanbaru significantly improved public relations performance at MTs Fadhilah Pekanbaru. One of the key improvements was in external communication, evidenced by a structured and effective communication strategy. This included the strategic use of social media and digital platforms to enhance outreach and engagement with stakeholders. The findings highlight the effectiveness of focused benchmarking in improving public relations. The structured approach enabled the adoption of best practices, leading to enhanced school visibility and reputation. These results suggest that targeted benchmarking can serve as a model for improving other aspects of school management. This study demonstrates that benchmarking in public relations can be a valuable strategy for school improvement. Principal leadership plays a critical role in facilitating this process, ensuring that best practices are identified and integrated effectively. This approach has the potential to be expanded to other areas to enhance overall school performance.

Keywords


Educational Leadership; Benchmarking in Education; Madrasah Tsanawiyah; Principal Leadership

References


Aimang, H. A., Judijanto, L., Mufarrihah, A., Suprayitno, D., & Susanti, M. (2024). Empowering Educational Leadership: The Role of Principal in Enhancing Learning Quality and Teacher Performance. Al-Tanzim: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 8(3), 1028–1042. https://doi.org/10.33650/al-tanzim.v8i3.8354

Bell, E., Bryman, A., & Harley, B. (2022). The Nature of Qualitative Research. In E. Bell, A. Bryman, & B. Harley, Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/hebz/9780198869443.003.0029

Deckert, J., & Wilson, M. (2023). Descriptive Research Methods. In J. Deckert & M. Wilson, Research Methods in the Dance Sciences (pp. 153–165). University Press of Florida. https://doi.org/10.5744/florida/9780813069548.003.0011

Furidha, B. W. (2024). COMPREHENSION OF THE DESCRIPTIVE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE LITERATURE. Journal Of Multidisciplinary Research, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.56943/jmr.v2i4.443

Gill, S. L. (2024). About Research - Qualitative Data Collection: Photo Elicitation. Journal of Human Lactation, 40(4), 503–505. https://doi.org/10.1177/08903344241273863

Hakim, L., Diana, E., & Sholihah, W. (2021). Benchmarking; Enhancing the Advantages of Linguistic Competitiveness in Islamic Boarding Schools. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 05(03), 195–209.

Hall, S., & Liebenberg, L. (2024). Qualitative Description as an Introductory Method to Qualitative Research for Master’s-Level Students and Research Trainees. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 16094069241242264. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241242264

Harahap, E. K. (2020). Strategic Benchmarking to Improve The Professionality of Madrasah ’ S Head in MAN 1 Batang Hari Jambi Province. The 1 St International Seminar on Islamic Diplomacy, 77–104.

Harris, W. E., Langan, A. M., Barrett, N., Jack, K., Wibberley, C., & Hamshire, C. (2019). A case for using both direct and indirect benchmarking to compare university performance metrics. Studies in Higher Education, 44(12), 2281–2292. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1490893

Henry H. Bi. (2018). Benchmarking: An International Journal Article information. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 25(5), 1548–1580.

Jannah, R., & Wahyuningsih, O. (2024). The Leadership Role of The School Principal in Effective Educational Management. Asian Journal of Engineering, Social and Health, 3(3), 663–668. https://doi.org/10.46799/ajesh.v3i3.282

Khakimyanova, R. V. (2021). APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKING TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION. Globus: Psychology and Pedagogy, 7(1(41)), 4–6. https://doi.org/10.52013/2713-3060-1-41-1

Kordel, S., & Gruber, M. (2024). Migration Impact Assessment: A Toolbox for Participatory Practices. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783748939412

Malapa, R. M., Sukdeo, N., Mukwakungu, S. C., & Mbohwa, C. (2023). Improving Performance Through Benchmarking: A Study on the Continuous Improvement Process. 2023 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM), 1697–1701. https://doi.org/10.1109/IEEM58616.2023.10406852

Mustafa M. Bodrick, Hani M. Alqarni, & Almuways, Y. S. (2024). International Benchmarking Methodology Applied to Organizations. Journal of Business and Management Studies, 6(4), 106–111. https://doi.org/10.32996/jbms.2024.6.4.9

Nurhuda, A. (2023). Benchmarking and Exploring Educational Tourism in Malaysia. 2(1), 1–11.

Pasholikov, M. (2024). Benchmarking is a tool for the development of an industrial company. E3S Web of Conferences, 549, 09005. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202454909005

Pham, C. H. (2024). Qualitative Data Analysis: In H. P. Bui (Ed.), Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design (pp. 55–69). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-2603-9.ch005

Prasetyo, M. A. M., & Salabi, A. S. (2023). School Effectiveness: Institutional Benchmarking for Vocational High School Management. Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengembangan Pendidikan, 7(3), 474–483. https://doi.org/10.23887/jppp.v7i3.57587

Rodrigues, C. A., & Reis Filho, R. R. (2023). APLICAÇÃO DA FERRAMENTA BENCHMARKING EM PERFORMACE OPERACIONAL. Revista Interface Tecnológica, 20(1), 589–600. https://doi.org/10.31510/infa.v20i1.1623

Shalihin, R. R. (2023). Enhancing the Islamic education in Kurikulum Merdeka through international benchmarking: A transdisciplinary study. Tarbawi: Jurnal Keilmuan Manajemen Pendidikan, 9(01), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.32678/tarbawi.v9i01.7985

Sunaengsih, C., Anggarani, M., Amalia, M., Nurfatmala, S., & Naelin, S. D. (2019). Principal Leadership in the Implementation of Effective School Management. Mimbar Sekolah Dasar, 6(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.17509/mimbar-sd.v6i1.15200

Syme, S., Davis, C., & Cook, C. (2021). Benchmarking Australian enabling programmes: Assuring quality, comparability and transparency. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(4), 572–585. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1804825

Wang, X. (2023). Senior High Education and the Development of Children Aged 15–17. In X. Wang, A Study on Child Development in Contemporary China (pp. 157–197). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8959-9_6

Zou, P. X. W., & Xu, X. (2023). Research Methodology and Strategy: Theory and Practice (1st ed.). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394190256




DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v17i1.4704

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Herlina Permata Sari, Yayah Rahyasih, Asep Suryana, Diding Nurdin

Al-Ishlah Jurnal Pendidikan Abstracted/Indexed by:

    

 


 

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