“Panca Sthiti Dharmaning Prabu” – the Concept of Educational Leadership – and Its Relationship to Character Strengthening: A Phenomenological Study in Hindu-Based Schools

This paper explains the relationship between educational leadership and the strengthening of character education. One of the advances of the times is the development of technology, which has positive and negative impacts. One of the negative impacts is moral degradation among teenagers. This phenomenon compels educational institutions to strengthen character education. Therefore, this study sought to interpret how educational leadership strengthens school character education. A qualitative research method with phenomenological study approach was employed to investigate educational leadership at SMP (junior high school) Negeri Hindu 2 Sukawati. Data were collected through observation and interviews and supported by document analysis techniques. The research subjects as participants were the principal and nine teachers. Data analysis was conducted using the Moustakas model, assisted by qualitative data analysis software. Based on the existing findings, character education must be institutional, with school principals and teachers adopting an active role. This active role indicates that school principals and teachers are also responsible for strengthening character education. This is achieved through an exemplary attitude and behavior by principal and teachers, which leads to the internalization of values in character habituation among students. This attitude is essential to the Hindu-based leadership concept of Panca Sthiti Dharmaning Prabu. This research has the potential to increase the understanding of the importance of character education and to form part of a literature review for future research.