Principal Duties in Integrated Islamic Junior High Schools:

A Case Study in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta

Abstract

The role of school principals has become increasingly complex, particularly within Integrated Islamic Junior High Schools (SMPIT) in Indonesia, where principals must balance managerial, instructional, administrative, and religious leadership responsibilities. This study examines how SMPIT principals in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, perform their daily duties amidst multiple demands and limited resources. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods approach was employed to simultaneously collect quantitative and qualitative data. Four principals from different SMPIT schools participated in the study through purposive sampling. Quantitative data were gathered via structured interviews and analyzed descriptively. In contrast, qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and unstructured observations were examined using thematic analysis. The results indicate that principals spend most of their time on managerial (19.5%), administrative (18.7%), leadership (17.1%), and supervisory (15.5%) duties, with less time for teaching and miscellaneous tasks. The study reveals the practical challenges of dual-role leadership in faith-based institutions. It highlights the importance of contextually informed leadership models. These results expand the global discourse on educational leadership by offering empirical insights into how religious and managerial roles intersect in developing countries.