Transforming professional learning communities into action learning spaces: transformational leadership and teacher resilience in the Global South

Educational institutions in the Global South face complex challenges in the VUCA era, marked by rapid curriculum transitions and teacher burnout amidst digital infrastructure disparities. This qualitative study investigates how principals in Indonesian Islamic private secondary schools operationalise transformational leadership to sustain teacher resilience and transform Professional Learning Communities (PLCs/Kombel) into Action Learning spaces. Utilising the Deductive Thematic Analysis guided by Bass and Riggio's Four I's framework on interview transcripts with 18 participants across five schools (4 principals, 7 senior teachers, 7 junior teachers), the study reveals four leadership shifts: (1) integrating humanistic-prophetic values to establish psychological safety and trust (Idealised Influence); (2) promoting a growth mindset against AI disruptions (Inspirational Motivation); (3) repurposing Kombel into critical action learning spaces for collaborative problem-solving (Intellectual Stimulation) and (4) facilitating cross-generational mentoring to bridge technological fluency and pedagogical depth (Individualised Consideration). The study concludes that transformational leadership functions as an adaptive mechanism, converting bureaucratic policy demands into contextual action learning, underscoring the need for psychosocial support, action modelling and equitable digital infrastructure.