Leadership as a Catalyst: Promoting Teacher Mental Health and Well-being in Islamic Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v4i5.1181Keywords:
Transformational Leadership, Teacher Mental Health, Madrasah, Teacher Well-BeingAbstract
This study aims to investigate the transformational leadership role of Madrasah Heads in supporting teachers' mental health in MAN I Plus Skills Bengkalis. This issue is relevant considering psychological challenges such as stress and burnout are often faced by educators. Using a qualitative approach and a single-case study design, this study examines the leadership practices that directly impact teachers' mental well-being from the perspective of their personal experiences. In-depth interviews with madrasah heads and teachers, as well as document analysis, reveal that effective leadership is characterised by three main strategies: serving as a mentor and emotional supporter; fostering a participatory and collaborative work environment; and establishing policies that promote work-life balance. These findings confirm that leadership interventions focused on the humanitarian and psychological aspects have a significant impact on increasing teacher motivation, resilience, and job satisfaction. Implicitly, this study recommends that education leaders adopt a holistic approach that prioritizes the psychological well-being of teachers, ultimately improving the quality of teaching and the sustainability of educator professionalism.
References
Abdulaziz, A., Bashir, M., & Alfalih, A. A. (2022). The Impact of Work-Life Balance and Work Overload on Teacher’s Organizational Commitment: Do Job Engagement and Perceived Organizational Support Matter. Education and Information Technologies, 27(7), 9641–9663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11013-8
Afshari, L. (2022). Idealized Influence and Commitment: A Granular Approach in Understanding Leadership. Personnel Review, 51(2), 805–822. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-03-2020-0153
Agyapong, B., Brett-MacLean, P., Burback, L., Agyapong, V. I. O., & Wei, Y. (2023). Interventions to Reduce Stress and Burnout Among Teachers: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(9), 5625. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20095625
Alam, M. K. (2021). A Systematic Qualitative Case Study: Questions, Data Collection, NVivo Analysis and Saturation. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 16(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-09-2019-1825
Alwali, J., & Alwali, W. (2022). The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Transformational Leadership, and Performance: A Test of the Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 43(6), 928–952. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2021-0486
Bakker, A. B., Hetland, J., Kjellevold Olsen, O., & Espevik, R. (2023). Daily Transformational Leadership: A Source of Inspiration for Follower Performance? European Management Journal, 41(5), 700–708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.04.004
Chen, S., Ntim, S. Y., Zhao, Y., & Qin, J. (2023). Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Early Childhood Teachers’ Work Stress and Burnout: A Comparative Study Between China, Ghana, and Pakistan. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1115866. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1115866
Donkoh, S. (2023). Application of Triangulation in Qualitative Research. Journal of Applied Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 10(1), 6–9. https://doi.org/10.15406/jabb.2023.10.00319
Frenzel, A. C., Daniels, L., & Burić, I. (2021). Teacher Emotions in the Classroom and Their Implications for Students. Educational Psychologist, 56(4), 250–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2021.1985501
Gill, S. L. (2020). Qualitative Sampling Methods. Journal of Human Lactation, 36(4), 579–581. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334420949218
Hammoudi Halat, D., Soltani, A., Dalli, R., Alsarraj, L., & Malki, A. (2023). Understanding and Fostering Mental Health and Well-Being Among University Faculty: A Narrative Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(13), 4425. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12134425
Hendren, K., Newcomer, K., Pandey, S. K., Smith, M., & Sumner, N. (2023). How Qualitative Research Methods Can Be Leveraged to Strengthen Mixed Methods Research in Public Policy and Public Administration? Public Administration Review, 83(3), 468–485. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13528
Ihsan, I., Pabbajah, M., Abdullah, I., & Hidayati, H. (2024). The Contestation of National and Religious Curricula in Indonesia’s Madrasas Since the Passage of the UUSPN. Educational Studies, 50(4), 434–447. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2021.1958757
Jolly, P. M., Kong, D. T., & Kim, K. Y. (2021). Social Support at Work: An Integrative Review. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(2), 229–251. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2485
Khoa, B. T., Hung, B. P., & Hejsalem-Brahmi, M. (2023). Qualitative Research in Social Sciences: Data Collection, Data Analysis and Report Writing. International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 12(1–2), 187–209. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPSPM.2023.132247
Kilag, O. K. T., Calledo, M. F. S., Uy, F. T., Dela Cerna, Y. T., Angtud, N. A. A., & Villanueva, K. M. (2023). Quality Performance of Teachers: Work Environment, Work Attitude, and Principal Supervision: Qualitative Investigation. Basic and Applied Education Research Journal, 4(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.11594/baerj.04.01.01
Kinsella, M., Wyatt, J., Nestor, N., Last, J., & Rackard, S. (2024). Fostering Students’ Autonomy Within Higher Education: The Relational Roots of Student Adviser Supports. Irish Educational Studies, 43(4), 1189–1208. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2201229
Loose, F., Hudders, L., De Jans, S., & Vanwesenbeeck, I. (2023). A Qualitative Approach to Unravel Young Children’s Advertising Literacy for YouTube Advertising: In-Depth Interviews With Children and Their Parents. Young Consumers, 24(1), 74–94. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-04-2022-1507
Mezmir, E. A. (2020). Qualitative Data Analysis: An Overview of Data Reduction, Data Display and Interpretation. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 10(21), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.7176/rhss/10-21-02
Miao, J., Chang, J., & Ma, L. (2022). Teacher–Student Interaction, Student–Student Interaction and Social Presence: Their Impacts on Learning Engagement in Online Learning Environments. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 183(6), 514–526. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2022.2094211
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
Mulyani, S., Salameh, A. A., Komariah, A., Timoshin, A., Hashim, N. A. A. N., Fauziah, R. S. P., Mulyaningsih, M., Ahmad, I., & Ul Din, S. M. (2021). Emotional Regulation as a Remedy for Teacher Burnout in Special Schools: Evaluating School Climate, Teacher’s Work-Life Balance and Children Behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 655850. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.655850
Munawarsyah, M. (2023). Islamic Education in the Modern Era: Analysis of Student Character and Their Role in Facing the Challenges of Industry 4.0. HEUTAGOGIA: Journal of Islamic Education, 3(2), 141–154. https://doi.org/10.14421/hjie.2023.32-01
Nwoko, J. C., Emeto, T. I., Malau-Aduli, A. E. O., & Malau-Aduli, B. S. (2023). A Systematic Review of the Factors That Influence Teachers’ Occupational Wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(12), 6070. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20126070
O’Farrell, P., Wilson, C., & Shiel, G. (2023). Teachers’ Perceptions of the Barriers to Assessment of Mental Health in Schools With Implications for Educational Policy: A Systematic Review. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 262–282. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12553
Obeng, H. A., Arhinful, R., Mensah, L., & Owusu-Sarfo, J. S. (2024). Assessing the Influence of the Knowledge Management Cycle on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Culture Considering the Interplay of Employee Engagement. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(20), 8728. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208728
Oyewobi, L. O. (2024). Leadership Styles and Employees Commitment: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction. Journal of Facilities Management, 22(5), 737–757. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-06-2022-0069
Panagopoulos, N., Karamanis, K., & Anastasiou, S. (2024). Exploring the Impact of Different Leadership Styles on Job Satisfaction Among Primary School Teachers in the Achaia Region, Greece. Education Sciences, 14(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010045
Priya, A. (2021). Case Study Methodology of Qualitative Research: Key Attributes and Navigating the Conundrums in Its Application. Sociological Bulletin, 70(1), 94–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920970318
Purwowidodo, A., & Zaini, M. (2024). Developing a Value-Based Moderate Islamic Education Model: A Case Study of Pesantren Sidogiri Pasuruan. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam (Journal of Islamic Education Studies), 12(1), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.15642/jpai.2024.12.1.43-62
Saldaña, J. (2020). Qualitative Data Analysis Strategies. In The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 877–912). https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190847388.013.33
Song, X., Wang, Z., Meng, X., & Liu, M. (2024). A Qualitative Study on University Students’ Restorative Experience of the Library Space Environment. Buildings, 14(6), 1641. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061641
Sridharan, V. G. (2021). Methodological Insights Theory Development in Qualitative Management Control: Revisiting the Roles of Triangulation and Generalization. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 34(2), 451–479. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-09-2019-4177
Teoh, B. E. W., Wider, W., Saad, A., Sam, T. H., Vasudevan, A., & Lajuma, S. (2022). The Effects of Transformational Leadership Dimensions on Employee Performance in the Hospitality Industry in Malaysia. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 772104. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913773
Vargas Rubilar, N., & Oros, L. B. (2021). Stress and Burnout in Teachers During Times of Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 756007. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.756007
Wei, C., & Ye, J. H. (2022). The Impacts of Work-Life Balance on the Emotional Exhaustion and Well-Being of College Teachers in China. Healthcare (Switzerland), 10(11), 2234. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10112234
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Lukman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
