Navigating Tradition and Modernity in the Strategic Management of Madrasah Aliyah Multicultural: Giddens' Structuring Perspective

Abstract

This study aims analyzes the process of navigating between tradition and modernity in the strategic management of Madrasah Aliyah at MAN 2 Banyumas, which is multicultural, using Anthony Giddens’ structuration theory framework. Through a qualitative case study approach at MAN 2 Banyumas Madrasah Aliyah, which represents different management models, data were collected through in-depth interviews (n=4 informants), participatory observation, and document analysis. The findings reveal the main result supporting the central claim that the strategic management of Madrasah Aliyah at MAN 2 Banyumas is a dynamic process of structuration in which madrasah actors simultaneously reproduce traditional structures that legitimize their existence while transforming them through innovative agency practices to respond to the demands of modernity. The first piece of evidence shows that the duality of signification structures (Islamic scholarly tradition versus national curriculum standards) creates productive tension that encourages hybrid strategic practices. The second piece of evidence reveals that the agency of the head of the madrasah and the madrasah committee in distributing resources and negotiating rules mediates the relationship between traditional structures and the demands of modernity. The third piece of evidence demonstrates that external legitimacy (accreditation, public recognition, and international cooperation) functions as a mechanism of institutional reflexivity that enables the madrasah to maintain its Islamic identity while improving its global competitiveness. This study contributes to the development of Islamic education management theory by integrating a structuration perspective, and it also provides practical implications for madrasah administrators in designing transformation strategies that do not sacrifice traditional identity.