The Role of Work Motivation in Mediating the Influence of School Principal Leadership on Teacher Performance of Teachers at SMK Negeri 1 Percut Sei Tuan
Keywords:
Principal Leadership, Work Motivation, Teacher PerformanceAbstract
Teacher performance is a key component in determining the success of the educational process, especially in vocational high schools (SMK) that are required to produce graduates with competencies that meet the needs of the industrial world. Teacher performance is influenced by various factors, one of which is the leadership of the principal, both directly and through teacher work motivation. This study aims to analyze the role of work motivation in mediating the influence of principal leadership on teacher performance at SMK Negeri 1 Percut Sei Tuan. This study uses a quantitative approach with a survey method. The research population consisted of all 119 employees of SMK Negeri 1 Percut Sei Tuan, all of whom were included as research samples. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method with the help of SmartPLS software. The results showed that principal leadership had a positive and significant effect on teacher performance and work motivation. Work motivation also had a positive and significant effect on teacher performance. In addition, work motivation was proven to play a role as an intervening variable that significantly mediates the influence of principal leadership on teacher performance. The coefficient of determination value shows that principal leadership is able to explain 16.2% of the variation in work motivation, while principal leadership and work motivation simultaneously explain 48.9% of the variation in teacher performance. The conclusion of this study confirms that teacher performance can be optimized by strengthening effective school leadership that is oriented towards providing work motivation. The results of this study are expected to serve as a basis for schools and education policy makers in formulating strategies for continuous improvement of teacher performance in vocational high schools.
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