<![CDATA[This study examines how adaptive leadership is interpreted in academic supervision for deep learning-oriented Islamic Religious Education (PAI) at MAN 2 Tanah Datar. It addresses the tension between supervision as an administrative requirement and supervision as professional support for pedagogical change. A descriptive qualitative approach within a constructivist paradigm was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 27 PAI teachers, one madrasah principal, and one vice principal for curriculum affairs (29 participants). Interview accounts were examined through thematic analysis and source triangulation across participant roles. The analysis identified three interrelated patterns: open communication and participatory decision-making, mentoring and professional support, and the use of local Minangkabau cultural references to interpret supervisory relationships. These patterns indicate a collaborative and developmental orientation to supervision, while the available interview evidence does not demonstrate measured changes in classroom practice or student learning. The findings are interpreted through adaptive leadership and culturally responsive school leadership, with deep learning treated as the pedagogical orientation of supervision rather than an empirically measured outcome. The study contributes a context-sensitive account of how formal supervision can be mediated by locally meaningful communication and deliberation. Practically, it suggests that madrasah leaders should connect dialogic supervision and mentoring to specific instructional decisions and follow-up, while future research should verify these relationships through classroom observation, documentary evidence, and longitudinal designs.]]>
