Student-Centered Digital Service Management in Madrasah Education: Integrating Student Agency and Transformational Leadership for Generation Z
Abstract
This study examines how student services at MAN 2 Aceh Utara are planned, implemented, supervised, and developed in response to Generation Z learners, and how student agency and transformational leadership shape these processes. The study addresses the gap between digital technology adoption and the development of genuinely student-centered services in madrasah education, where institutional responsiveness must remain aligned with Islamic educational values. A qualitative single-case study design was employed. Participants comprised one madrasah principal, two guidance and counseling teachers, and eight students aged 15–18 years. Data were collected from January to March 2025 through semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis, then analyzed thematically across four managerial dimensions: planning, implementation, supervision and evaluation, and service development. The findings show that planning is administratively established but lacks systematic student profiling; digital service delivery has improved communication and accessibility, but student participation remains limited; supervision emphasizes programme implementation and administrative compliance; and diverse service initiatives remain insufficiently integrated. The cross-dimensional analysis yields an empirically grounded conceptual framework comprising four interconnected dimensions: personalization, participation, participatory evaluation, and service integration. Student agency provides the basis for student contributions, while transformational leadership supports organizational coordination and continuous improvement. Islamic educational values provide the normative foundation for holistic student development. The study concludes that student-centered digital service management requires managerial and relational transformation beyond technological adoption. Because the framework derives from a single case, comparative and longitudinal research across multiple madrasahs is needed to examine its applicability and contextual variations.
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