Repositioning School Self-Evaluation as Institutional Muhasabah in Internal Quality Assurance

Abstract

School Self-Evaluation (SSE) is often used in Indonesian schools as a technical instrument for accreditation, reporting, and compliance. This article repositions SSE as institutional muhasabah within the Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS). It aims to reconstruct SSE as a managerial, participatory, and ethical-reflective mechanism for continuous improvement in Islamic educational institutions. Existing studies mainly discuss SSE as a quality-mapping and planning tool, while its ethical-spiritual foundation receives limited attention. This study uses qualitative library research by examining policy documents, international scholarship on SSE and data-based decision making, Indonesian studies on internal quality assurance, and Islamic education literature on muhasabah, amanah, accountability, and self-correction. The data were analyzed through thematic coding, comparative reading, and descriptive-analytical synthesis. The findings produce four dimensions of institutional muhasabah in SSE: diagnostic honesty, evidential trustworthiness, participatory accountability, and corrective commitment. These dimensions show that effective SSE requires evidence, stakeholder dialogue, moral responsibility, and disciplined follow-up. The article contributes a conceptual framework that integrates the managerial logic of IQAS with Islamic Educational Management.