The influence of principal leadership and academic supervision on teacher performance through work motivation

Teacher performance plays a crucial role in improving the quality of education. High-performing teachers are able to design effective learning, implement appropriate teaching strategies, and evaluate learning outcomes optimally. However, teacher performance is often influenced by various internal and external factors. This study aims to examine the influence of principal leadership and academic supervision on teacher performance through work motivation as a mediating variable. This research employed a quantitative approach with a correlational design. The population consisted of teachers from public junior high schools in Banyumanik District, Semarang. A total of 105 teachers were selected as samples using proportional random sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using path analysis. The results show that principal leadership and academic supervision have a positive and significant effect on teachers’ work motivation. Furthermore, principal leadership, academic supervision, and work motivation significantly influence teacher performance. Work motivation mediates the relationship between principal leadership and teacher performance, as well as between academic supervision and teacher performance. These findings indicate that effective leadership and constructive supervision contribute to improved teacher performance by enhancing teachers’ work motivation.