A Case Study of Integrating AI Literacy into School Leadership in Islamic Elementary Education Management at a Rural Madrasah

Abstract

This study is grounded in the increasing demand for digital transformation in education, where the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) remains limited in rural Islamic primary schools due to infrastructural and human resource constraints. This gap highlights the need to explore how AI literacy can be enacted within school leadership practices in under-resourced madrasah contexts. This study aims to analyze the transformation of Islamic elementary education management through the integration of AI literacy into school leadership at MIN 3 Merangin, Bangko, Jambi. This research employed a qualitative approach using a single-case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the principal, three teachers, and two administrative staff, non-participant observation conducted over eight weeks, and document analysis. Purposive sampling was applied. Data analysis followed Miles and Huberman’s interactive model, including data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The results indicate that the principal’s AI literacy influences four dimensions of transformation: digital-based strategic planning, teacher capacity building for AI-assisted pedagogy, personalized Islamic education content development, and data-driven decision making. However, challenges such as limited internet infrastructure and resistance among senior teachers persist. The study concludes that AI literacy in school leadership functions as an adaptive and context-dependent competence rather than a fully institutionalized practice. These findings contribute to the development of a contextualized understanding of AI-informed leadership and offer practical implications for strengthening digital transformation in rural Madrasah settings.