Kiai Leadership and The Formation of Moderate Character of Students at Al-Amin Indramayu Islamic Boarding School

Abstract

Religious polarization, violence rooted in narrow interpretations, and the rapid circulation of provocative digital content require Islamic boarding schools to strengthen religious moderation in concrete ways. This study analyzes kiai leadership in developing moderate character among students at Al-Amin Islamic Boarding School in Indramayu. The discussion focuses on exemplary leadership, educational policy, daily habituation, communication patterns, educative discipline, acceptance of local culture, and digital literacy. This research employed a qualitative case-study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation of daily activities, and institutional document analysis; informants were purposively selected from the kiai, caregivers, teachers, student administrators, and students. The data were analyzed thematically. The findings show that the kiai develops moderate character through four main functions: moral exemplar, policy director, dialogical communicator, and manager of educative discipline. These processes foster students who are religiously committed, respectful of differences, patriotic, non-violent, selective toward local culture, and responsible in digital spaces. The effectiveness of this development depends on consistent exemplary conduct, alignment between curriculum and pesantren culture, and documented character evaluation.

Keywords: kiai leadership, moderate character, santri, Islamic boarding school.