Innovative Leadership Behavior for Developing National Education Standards
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54437/urwatulwutsqo.v15i2.3580Keywords:
Innovative Leadership Behavior; Madrasah Principal; National Education Standards; Educational Leadership; School InnovationAbstract
Educational institutions are increasingly required to respond to rapid educational reforms, technological advancement, and rising expectations for educational quality, making innovative leadership an essential competency for school principals. However, limited empirical research has examined how innovative leadership behavior contributes to the development of the National Education Standards (Standar Nasional Pendidikan) within Islamic educational institutions. This study aims to analyze the innovative leadership behavior of madrasah principals in developing the National Education Standards through a multisite qualitative study conducted at MTs Negeri 3 Jombang and MTs Negeri 16 Jombang, Indonesia. A qualitative multisite case study design was employed, involving principals, vice principals, teachers, administrative staff, school committee members, and supervisors selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participant observations, and document analysis and were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, followed by within-site and cross-site analysis. The findings reveal that innovative leadership behavior operates through four interconnected stages: opportunity exploration, idea generation, idea championing, and idea implementation. These behavioral stages enable principals to transform educational challenges into sustainable institutional innovation through collaborative planning, stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, and continuous evaluation. The study proposes an Innovative Leadership Behavior Model for Madrasah Development, extending the Innovative Work Behavior framework into educational leadership. The findings contribute to the literature on educational leadership by providing a behavioral perspective for understanding sustainable school improvement and offer practical implications for strengthening leadership capacity in implementing the National Education Standards within Islamic educational institutions
Downloads
References
Akiba, M., & Wilkinson, B. (2016). Adopting an International Innovation for Teacher Professional Development: State and District Approaches to Lesson Study in Florida. Journal of Teacher Education, 67(1), 74–93. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487115593603
Amir, M. T. (2015). Entrepreneurial Behavior and Innovative Behavior: A Conceptual Clarification. The Asian Journal of Technology Management, Vol.08(No.02), 161–172. https://doi.org/10.12695/ajtm.2015.8.2.7
Ayumi, M., & Nasution, I. (2025). Leadership of School Principals in Improving The Quality of Teacher Learning. Urwatul Wutsqo: Jurnal Studi Kependidikan Dan Keislaman, 14(2), 464–478. https://doi.org/10.54437/urwatulwutsqo.v14i2.2201
Brown, C., Schildkamp, K., & Hubers, M. D. (2017). Combining the best of two worlds: A conceptual proposal for evidence-informed school improvement. Educational Research, 59(2), 154–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2017.1304327
Conger, J. A., & Kanungo, R. N. (1998). Charismatic leadership in organizations. Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE Publications.
Dobni, C. B. (2010). The relationship between an innovation orientation and competitive strategy. International Journal of Innovation Management, 14(02), 331–357. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1363919610002660
Dou, D., Devos, G., & Valcke, M. (2017). The relationships between school autonomy gap, principal leadership, teachers’ job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 45(6), 959–977. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216653975
Drago-Severson, E. (2012). New Opportunities for Principal Leadership: Shaping School Climates for Enhanced Teacher Development. Teachers College Record, 114(3), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811211400305
Geijsel, F., Sleegers, P., van den Berg, R., & Kelchtermans, G. (2001). Conditions Fostering the Implementation of Large-Scale Innovation Programs in Schools: Teachers’ Perspectives. Educational Administration Quarterly, 37(1), 130–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131610121969262
Hammad, W., Polatcan, M., & Morad, H. (2024). Investigating links between teacher leadership, collective efficacy and teacher commitment in Egyptian schools: A mediated-effects analysis. International Journal of Educational Management, 38(3), 750–768. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-03-2023-0124
Hassan, M. U., Murtaza, A., & Rashid, K. (n.d.). Redefining Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Era of Globalisation and Global Crises: A Proposal for Future Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12822
Hopkins, D., Stringfield, S., Harris, A., Stoll, L., & Mackay, T. (2014). School and system improvement: A narrative state-of-the-art review. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 25(2), 257–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2014.885452
Hsiao, H.-C., & Chang, J.-C. (2011). The role of organizational learning in transformational leadership and organizational innovation. Asia Pacific Education Review, 12(4), 621–631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-011-9165-x
Knapp, M. S. (1997). Between Systemic Reforms and the Mathematics and Science Classroom: The Dynamics of Innovation, Implementation, and Professional Learning. Review of Educational Research, 67(2), 227–266. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543067002227
Leithwood, K., Steinbach, R., & Jantzi, D. (2002). School Leadership and Teachers’ Motivation to Implement Accountability Policies. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38(1), 94–119. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X02381005
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Mainemelis, C., Kark, R., & Epitropaki, O. (2015). Creative leadership: A multi-context conceptualization. Academy of Management Annals, 9(1), 393–482.
Makkonen, H., Johnston, W. J., & Javalgi, R. (Raj) G. (2016). A behavioral approach to organizational innovation adoption. Journal of Business Research, 69(7), 2480–2489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.02.017
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. 3rd. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mulford, B. (n.d.). The Leadership Challenge: Improving learning in schools. Retrieved 11 July 2026, from https://research.acer.edu.au/aer/2
Nasir, M. (2021). Curriculum Development and Accreditation Standards in the Traditional Islamic Schools in Indonesia. Journal of Curriculum Studies Research, 3(2), 37–56. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcsr.2020.3
Paglis, L. L., & Green, S. G. (2002). Leadership self-efficacy and managers’ motivation for leading change. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(2), 215–235. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.137
Pak, K., Polikoff, M. S., Desimone, L. M., & Saldívar García, E. (2020). The Adaptive Challenges of Curriculum Implementation: Insights for Educational Leaders Driving Standards-Based Reform. AERA Open, 6(2), 2332858420932828. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858420932828
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage publications.
Riddel, M., & Zulfikar, I. R. (2024). The Role of Innovative Leadership in Transforming Student Learning Effectiveness: A Review of Best Practices and Future Directions. Development: Studies in Educational Management and Leadership, 3(1), 35–50. https://doi.org/10.47766/development.v3i1.1913
Spillane, J. P., & Kenney, A. W. (2012). School administration in a changing education sector: The US experience. Journal of Educational Administration, 50(5), 541–561. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231211249817
Suheri, E. (2025). Transformasi Kepala Sekolah: Pelatihan untuk Kepemimpinan yang Efektif dan Inovatif. PT. Revormasi Jangkar Philosophia.
Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods. SAGE Publications.
Zhang, J., Hong, H.-Y., Scardamalia, M., Teo, C. L., & Morley, E. A. (2011). Sustaining Knowledge Building as a Principle-Based Innovation at an Elementary School. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 20(2), 262–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2011.528317
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Maharani Wicahyaningtyas, Binti Maunah, Abd. Aziz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
