The Strategic Role of Educational Leadership in Improving Learning Quality and Student Character in Modern Schools

Abstract

Educational leadership is widely regarded as a decisive factor in school effectiveness, yet a synthesized account of how it shapes both learning quality and student character within the Indonesian school context remains limited. This study aimed to map the strategic role of educational leadership in improving learning quality and shaping student character in modern schools, and to identify factors supporting and constraining its implementation. A qualitative Systematic Literature Review design was employed, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 protocol. Twenty peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025 were retrieved from Google Scholar, Scopus, and national education journal portals through structured screening based on inclusion and exclusion criteria; data were extracted using a structured matrix and analyzed through descriptive-thematic analysis complemented by a strategic mapping of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The review identified four recurring leadership practices: strengthening school vision and mission, enhancing teacher competence through supervision, cultivating a positive school culture, and utilizing technology in instruction, operating mainly through indirect, capacity-building pathways rather than direct instructional control. The mapping further revealed that supportive policy and openness to innovation are offset by uneven principal competence and weak data-based evaluation. These findings indicate that educational leadership functions as a multidimensional, context-dependent practice whose effectiveness is conditional, offering a conceptual and practical diagnostic for school leaders, teacher-training institutions, and policymakers.