Akhlak-Based Quality Management in an Islamic Senior High School: A Case Study on Integrating Moral Values into Quality Assurance

Abstract

Conventional quality assurance (QA) systems in Islamic schools often overlook spiritual and moral dimensions. This qualitative case study aims to analyze the implementation of akhlak-based quality management at an Islamic senior high school in Sukabumi, Indonesia, focusing on the integration of amanah, shidiq, and ihsan into QA cycles. Data were collected through interviews with 15 participants, 12 days of observation, and document analysis. The findings show that participatory annual planning, daily behavior monitoring, semester moral scoring, monthly review meetings, and parent surveys form a value-driven QA system. Strong principal leadership and a religious environment support implementation, while limited budget and uneven teacher competence are barriers. The impact includes improved student moral behavior and increased community trust, with accreditation rising from B to A. This study offers novelty by empirically operationalizing Islamic spiritual values (shura, muhasabah, uswah hasanah, muraqabah) into the PDCA quality cycle, which has been rarely explored in Islamic education management. The study concludes that akhlak-based QA effectively enhances both moral character and institutional quality, offering a replicable model for faith-based schools