Innovative Educational Governance: Exploring the Role of Stakeholder Participation and Principal Leadership in Enhancing Service Quality

Innovative educational governance has become a vital approach in enhancing the quality of services in Islamic educational institutions. Governance is no longer perceived as the sole responsibility of school principals but rather as a collaborative process that requires active participation from various stakeholders, including school committees, teachers, parents, and community representatives. This study explores the role of stakeholder participation and principal leadership in improving service quality within Islamic schools. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, using purposive sampling to select several institutions as research sites. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with principals and stakeholders, non-participant observations of school service practices, and analysis of institutional documents such as meeting reports and service guidelines. The findings indicate that stakeholders contribute significantly to decision-making, financial planning, and supervision of educational programs, thereby ensuring accountability and transparency. Meanwhile, effective principal leadership—characterized by innovation, integrity, and communication skills—proves essential in supporting service delivery and fostering stakeholder trust. The synergy between stakeholder participation and principal leadership establishes a participatory and accountable governance system. Furthermore, Islamic values such as shura (consultation), amanah (trust), and mas’uliyyah (responsibility) are deeply embedded in governance practices. The study concludes that strengthening collaboration between principals and stakeholders can sustainably enhance service quality in Islamic educational institutions. It recommends formalizing participatory forums and capacity-building initiatives to empower both principals and stakeholders for long-term governance effectiveness.