IMPLEMENTING PROPHETIC COMMUNICATION IN FEMALE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY OF SD MUHAMMADIYAH 1 SURAKARTA, INDONESIA

Abstract

This case study investigates how a female principal at SD Muhammadiyah 1 Surakarta, Indonesia, implements prophetic communication grounded in Islamic leadership values of Shiddiq (truthfulness), Amanah (trustworthiness), Tabligh (transparent communication), and Fathonah (wisdom) to build character-based school culture. Despite extensive literature on transformational leadership and gender in educational administration, the specific mechanisms through which Islamic prophetic values translate into observable communication practices remain underexplored. Using sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, this study integrated Structural Equation Modeling (N = 187 teachers, response rate 95.9%) with in-depth interviews (N = 23 participants). Quantitative findings revealed that prophetic leadership significantly influences character school culture both directly (β = 0.412, p<0.001) and indirectly through humanistic communication (β = 0.287) and spiritual transformation (nafs transformation, β = 0.234), explaining 87% of variance (R² = 0.870). Qualitative analysis identified three concrete mechanisms: 1) Dialogic Tabligh: transforming traditional one-way Islamic preaching into two-way dialogues; 2) Procedural Amanah: institutionalizing trustworthiness through transparent systems; and 3) Contextual Fathonah: adapting communication to individual teacher needs. These findings operationalize prophetic communication from normative theological concepts into empirically measurable leadership practices, demonstrate how Islamic values help female leaders navigate gender-religion paradoxes, and provide actionable framework for leadership development in Islamic educational institutions. The study contributes to cross-cultural leadership theory by bridging Western transformational leadership models with Islamic prophetic traditions.

Keywords: Prophetic Communication, Islamic Leadership Values, Female Educational Leadership, Character School Culture, Indonesia, Mixed-Methods Study