Self-concept and Islamic religiosity as predictors of leadership potential in Orphaned Muslim youth: a multiple case study in Indonesia

Orphaned Muslim adolescents in Indonesia must reconstruct personal identity after parental loss while facing socioeconomic vulnerability and religious expectation, yet how self-concept and Islamic religiosity jointly project leadership potential remains underexplored. This qualitative multiple case study examined six purposively selected Junior High School students (three male, three female) who had lost at least one parent, using extreme-contrast sampling and two semi-structured interviews each. Cross-case thematic analysis showed that deeply internalized faith, more than ritual frequency, predicted aspirational confidence, altruistic motivation, and internal locus of control, with gender- and poverty-contingent patterns carrying direct implications for faith-sensitive social work practice.