Leadership practices in the Madrasah education program: A case study

Leadership in the Madrasah Education Program (MEP)  involves managing instruction, culture, and community needs while balancing national curriculum and Islamic values. This study was conducted in a public  school implementing the MEP and used a case study approach to examine how a school head leads the program, the challenges encountered, and the coping strategies used. It is guided by the Culturally Responsive Leadership framework, which emphasizes inclusion, equity, and cultural sensitivity in school leadership. Data were gathered through interviews with key participants  and analyzed using thematic analysis. Ethical standards such as informed consent and confidentiality were strictly observed. The findings show that the implementation of the Madrasah Education Program (MEP)  is shaped by interconnected leadership practices, including instructional leadership, inclusive culture, capacity development, participatory governance, and coping mechanisms. These practices highlight how school leaders and stakeholders work together through planning, monitoring, mentoring, collaboration, and shared decision-making. Despite persistent challenges such as workload, scheduling conflicts, limited resources, leaders use adaptive strategies to sustain program implementation within existing school constraints. Strengthening the implementation of the Madrasah Education Program (MEP) requires improved governance coordination and planning, enhanced classroom support for culturally responsive teaching, clearer and more flexible policy guidelines on workload, time allocation, and resources, as well as future research focusing on long-term outcomes, contextual differences, and stakeholder experiences.