Indigenous Educational Leadership Strategies Rooted in Iranian-Islamic Culture: Toward a Culturally Responsive Model

This study explores indigenous educational leadership strategies deeply embedded in Iranian-Islamic culture, addressing the limitations of predominantly Western leadership models when applied in non-Western, collectivist, and high-context societies such as Iran. Through a rigorous hybrid qualitative methodology, the research combines hermeneutic analysis of ۱۵ classical Persian-Islamic sources—including the Qur’an, Rumi’s Masnavi, Saadi’s Golestan, Nizami Aruzi’s Siyasatnameh, and Attar’s Tazkerat al-Awliya—with semi-structured interviews conducted with ۱۲ exemplary school principals from diverse regions (Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad). The analysis identifies ten interconnected strategies: mentor-disciple relationships, ethics-before-knowledge pedagogy, narrative leadership, consultative subtlety, familial community-building, perfection-oriented human growth, humble authority, ritual-symbolic motivation, flexible adherence to principles, and archetypal-historical role modelling.These strategies are contrasted with prominent Western frameworks (transformational, servant, and distributed leadership), revealing significant synergies alongside necessary cultural adaptations. Empirical vignettes from practicing principals demonstrate that implementing these culturally resonant practices yields substantial improvements in teacher morale (۱۸–۳۰ %) and student engagement, while fostering greater alignment with local relational, ethical, and symbolic norms. The study proposes the “Iranian-Islamic Leadership Wheel Model,” centered on the concept of insani kamil (the perfected human), as a practical, holistic framework for principal training, policy development, and school improvement in Iran and comparable cultural contexts. This work contributes to decolonizing educational leadership by affirming the value of indigenous wisdom in contemporary global discourse.

کلیدواژه ها:

educational leadership ، Iranian-Islamic culture ، indigenous strategies.