Islamic school culture, religious leadership and student character in preventing academic dishonesty: empirical evidence from Indonesian pesantren

Purpose This study aims to investigate how Islamic school culture and religious leadership contribute to preventing academic dishonesty through the mediating role of student character. Design/methodology/approach Empirical evidence was drawn from a survey of 495 santri (students) from several pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in East Java, Indonesia, with the data analyzed using structural equation modeling–partial least squares (SEM-PLS) to support the generalization of findings. Findings The results indicate that Islamic school culture and religious leadership significantly contribute to the development of student character, which then acts as an effective deterrent to academic dishonesty. As character is reinforced by cultural norms and religious teaching, incidences of dishonest academic conduct decline among pesantren students. Originality/value This study provides a novel contribution by empirically examining an integrated model of academic dishonesty prevention in the pesantren context, a setting largely underrepresented in international educational management research. By conceptualizing Islamic school culture and religious leadership as environmental factors shaping student character, the study demonstrates a clear mechanism through which dishonest academic behavior is mitigated. Using a quantitative survey with a sufficient number of respondents and SEM-PLS analysis, the methodology is robust and carefully designed, offering culturally grounded evidence that strengthens theoretical understanding and provides practical guidance for promoting integrity in faith-based education.