Date of Submission

6-1-2021

Document Type

DiP

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

Islamic school, mission, Islamic leadership, Islamic pedagogy, values, character education

Abstract

U.S. Islamic schools endeavour to foster the development of moral practices and values stemming from Islamic teachings. Their efforts are demonstrated in classes (such as Islamic studies and Qur’an study), ritual practice (such as daily congregational prayer), and faith-based assemblies. Yet the schools often lack awareness, structure, and procedures for a focus on character, morality, and spirituality to permeate all aspects of schooling. They also tend to have limited resources for embarking on large-scale change initiatives. This Organizational Improvement Plan is written from the standpoint of the author, a scholar-practitioner, and Dean of Mission of a U.S. based K-12 Islamic school whose mission includes a commitment to holistic and Islamic faith-based teaching. The problem of practice concerns the lack of procedural and structural elements to ensure that the mission is upheld in all aspects of the school and that the school practices what it preaches. To diagnose the problem, I select a value-based Islamic leadership model supplemented with moral and spiritual leadership. Using the model, along with a framework for change designed from holistic and systems thinking, yields four potential solutions. The preferred solution is based on a tailored, school-wide approach to character development, refined with an Islamic pedagogical approach to character growth involving self-monitoring (Muraqaba) and self-evaluation (Muhasaba). Finally, to connect theory with practice, I present an implementation plan based on a lightweight pilot approach, monitoring and evaluation plans, and a communication plan, all of which reflect the chosen Islamic leadership model and a holistic, systems-thinking approach to change.

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