Transformational Leadership and the Dual-Track Model of Teacher Professional Development in Established and Growing Islamic Schools

Asyithah Almufidah; Wahid Murni; Mulyono Mulyono

doi:10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9877

Transformational Leadership and the Dual-Track Model of Teacher Professional Development in Established and Growing Islamic Schools

Asyithah Almufidah, Wahid Murni, Mulyono Mulyono

Abstract

Teacher professional development is essential for improving educational quality in Islamic schools. However, leadership strategies are often applied uniformly despite differences in institutional maturity. This study examines how transformational leadership supports teacher professional development in established and growing Islamic schools and proposes a contextual model aligned with institutional readiness.This study employed a qualitative multi-case design in two Islamic elementary schools in Surabaya, Indonesia: SDIT Fatimiyah as an established school and MI El Rahmah as a growing school. Data were collected over four months through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and document analysis involving 16 participants, including principals, teachers, and foundation representatives. Data were analyzed through single-case and cross-case analysis using open and thematic coding. Credibility was strengthened through source, technique, and time triangulation, member checking, and peer debriefing.The findings show that transformational leadership was enacted differently according to school maturity. In the established school, leadership emphasized systemic standards, teacher autonomy, digital integration, and the “One Teacher One Innovation” program. In the growing school, leadership prioritized direct mentoring, emotional support, value-based motivation, and the “Friday Innovation” initiative. These differences indicate two professional development pathways: the Acceleration Track for mature institutions and the Foundation Track for developing institutions.The study proposes the Dual-Track Model of Teacher Professional Development, which positions institutional maturity as a key contextual variable in transformational leadership. The model offers practical guidance for school leaders to align teacher development strategies with institutional readiness.

Keywords

transformational leadership; teacher professionalism; dual-track model; institutional maturity; Islamic schools

Full Text:

PDF

References

Abdelfattah, F. (2025). Strategic Leadership and Its Impact on Organizational Performance in Emerging Economies. GRJESTM, 1(4), 141-147.

Adel, A. (2024). The Convergence of Intelligent Tutoring, Robotics, and IoT in Smart Education for the Transition from Industry 4.0 to 5.0. Smart Cities, 7(1), 325-369. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7010014

Adeoye, M. A. (2025). Principals' Transformational Leadership Styles and Teachers' Job Satisfaction in Public Secondary Schools in South-West Nigeria. Al-Hikmah University.

Ahsan, M. J. (2025). Cultivating a Culture of Learning: The Role of Leadership in Fostering Lifelong Development. The Learning Organization, 32(2), 282-306. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-03-2024-0099

Al-Kasasbeh, O. (2024). Exploring the Nexus Between Leadership Styles, Employee Engagement, and Organizational Performance: A Multidimensional Review. Historical: Journal of History and Social Sciences, 3(2), 154-168. https://doi.org/10.58355/historical.v3i2.112

Almusaed, A., Almssad, A., & Yitmen, I. (2025). Qualitative Data Collection and Management. In Practice of Research Methodology in Civil Engineering and Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide (pp. 417-454). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97393-2_13

Asad, M. M., Rind, A. A., & Almusharraf, N. M. (2026). Challenges and Mitigating Strategies for Sustainable Development of Digitally Transformed Community 5.0: Insights from the Higher Education Leadership. Asian Education and Development Studies, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-04-2025-0167

Chukwukelu, T. I. (2023). Examining the Impact of Leadership Styles on Teacher Motivation and Teacher Turnover Intentions. Doctoral Dissertation, Unicaf University in Zambia.

Constantinides, M. (2022). High-Stakes Accountability Policies and Local Adaptation: Exploring How School Principals Respond to Multiple Policy Demands. School Leadership & Management, 42(2), 170-187. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2021.2016687

Cosa, M. (2024). Navigating Organizational Change: Sequential vs Simultaneous Approaches to Innovation Management in Modern Enterprises. Measuring Business Excellence, 28(3-4), 381-395. https://doi.org/10.1108/MBE-07-2023-0098

Ghamrawi, N., Shal, T., & Ghamrawi, N. A. R. (2024). Cultivating Teacher Leadership: Evidence from a Transformative Professional Development Model. School Leadership & Management, 44(4), 413-441. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2024.2328056

Huang, Z., Li, Z., Wang, L., & Liu, H. (2025). Digital Education for Graduate Students: Literacy and Skills Development—A Case Study of Non-Linear Control Systems Course. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1601717. Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1601717

Isom, M. N. (2023). Developing Development: Fostering Culturally Relevant Player Development in Basketball Culture Through Adaptable Pedagogy and Responsive Teaching.

Jing, M., Guo, Z., Wu, X., Yang, Z., & Wang, X. (2025). Higher Education Digital Academic Leadership: Perceptions and Practices from Chinese University Leaders. Education Sciences, 15(5), 606. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050606

Kawar, L. N., Dunbar, G. B., Aquino-Maneja, E. M., Flores, S. L., Squier, V. R., & Failla, K. R. (2024). Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods, and Triangulation Research Simplified. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 55(7), 338-344. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20240328-03

Kement, Ü., Zeybek, B., Soylu, S., Erkol Bayram, G., & Raza, A. (2024). The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Restaurant Employees on Trust, Altruistic Intention and Organizational Commitment: The Moderation Effect of Surface Acting. European Business Review, 36(5), 613-638. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-05-2023-0169

Lewa, P. M., Mburu, M. M., & Murigi, R. M. M. (2022). Transformational Leadership and Change Management in Dynamic Contexts. In Leading with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Approaches, Practices and Cases for Integral Leadership Strategy (pp. 47-65). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95652-3_4

Mele, F., Buchmann, M., & Burger, K. (2023). Making It to the Academic Path in a Tracked Education System: The Interplay of Individual Agency and Social Origin in Early Educational Transitions. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52(12), 2620-2635. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01846-y

Mesaadah, M. A.-M., & Al Awaysha, M. A. H. A. (2025). The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Institutional Excellence: Civil Service Consumer Corporation as a Case Study. In From Machine Learning to Artificial Intelligence: The Modern Machine Intelligence Approach for Financial and Economic Inclusion (pp. 1559-1578). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76011-2_118

Meydan, C. H., & Akkaş, H. (2024). The Role of Triangulation in Qualitative Research: Converging Perspectives. In Principles of Conducting Qualitative Research in Multicultural Settings (pp. 98-129). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-8-3693-3306-8.ch006

Missier, C. A. (2025). A Qualitative Study of Digital Religious Influence: Perspectives from Christian, Hindu, and Muslim Gen Y and Gen Z in Mumbai, India. Religions, 16(1), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16010073

Morgan, H. (2024). Using Triangulation and Crystallization to Make Qualitative Studies Trustworthy and Rigorous. The Qualitative Report, 29(7), 1844-1856. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6071

Mtisi, S. (2022). The Qualitative Case Study Research Strategy as Applied on a Rural Enterprise Development Doctoral Research Project. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221145849

Nassir, M., & Benoliel, P. (2025). Transformational Leadership and Organizational Commitment: Unlocking the Potential of Collective Teacher Efficacy. Social Psychology of Education, 28(1),202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-025-10162-1

Ogunkan, D. V., & Akinpelu, O. P. (2026). Methodology Mayhem in Urban Planning Research: A Call for Methodological Triangulation. Quality & Quantity, 60(1), 1679-1704. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-025-02272-x

Palmucci, D. N., Giovando, G., & Vincurova, Z. (2025). The Post-Covid Era: Digital Leadership, Organizational Performance and Employee Motivation. Management Decision, 63(7), 2452-2485. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-04-2024-0865

Pamuji, S. (2026). Performance-Based Educational Management: Integrating Pure Management Principles to Enhance Quality and Competitiveness of Educational Institutions. International Journal of Economics Management and Social Science, 9(1), 133-143.

Phinaitrup, B.-A. (2026). Transformational Leadership, Public Service Motivation, Commitment, and Performance in State-Owned Enterprises: Results from a Delphi Study of Executive Consensus. Cogent Business & Management, 13(1), 2608412. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2608412

Scanlon, D., MacPhail, A., & Calderón, A. (2022). A Rhizomatic Exploration of a Professional Development Non-Linear Approach to Learning and Teaching: Two Teachers' Learning Journeys in 'Becoming Different'. Teaching and Teacher Education, 115, 103730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103730

Sliwka, A., Klopsch, B., Beigel, J., & Tung, L. (2024). Transformational Leadership for Deeper Learning: Shaping Innovative School Practices for Enhanced Learning. Journal of Educational Administration, 62(1), 103-121. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-03-2023-0049

Thien, L. M., & Chan, S. Y. (2022). One-Size-Fits-All? A Cross-Validation Study of Distributed Leadership and Teacher Academic Optimism. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(1), 43-63. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220926506

Thien, L. M., & Hallinger, P. (2026). Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics Between Principal Instructional Leadership, Teacher Professional Learning and Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Complexity Theory Approach. Journal of Educational Administration, 64(1), 31-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-06-2025-0248

Ullah, N., Yousaf, A., & Naz, S. (2025). Leadership Styles and Change Readiness in Organizations. ASSAJ, 4(02), 3838-3850.

Vijai, C. (2025). The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Transformational Leadership, and Organizational Culture. In Emotional Intelligence in the Digital Era (pp. 212-237). Auerbach Publications. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781032715377-14

Wahyudin, A., Akbar, F., Rohmad, R., & Budi, M. H. S. (2024). Enhancing Public Service Excellence Through Transformational Leadership in Service Management. Business and Applied Management Journal, 2(1), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v2i1.489

Walker, A. (2025). No Man (ager) is an Island: For a Process-Oriented Systems Approach to Leadership. Leadership, 17427150251403382. https://doi.org/10.1177/17427150251403382

Yeganeh, L. N., Fenty, N. S., Chen, Y., Simpson, A., & Hatami, M. (2025). The Future of Education: A Multi-Layered Metaverse Classroom Model for Immersive and Inclusive Learning. Future Internet, 17(2), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17020063

Yobouet, N. T. (2025). Exploring Transformational Leadership's Role in Shaping Project Teams' Motivation and Success: A Systematic Review. Capitol Technology University.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9877