The Influence of Principals’ Digital Leadership, Learning Community Optimisation, and Work Motivation on Junior High School Teachers’ Performance in Sungai Apit District, Siak Regency

Mardiyati; Slamet Lestari

doi:10.59890/ijetr.v3i4.233

Authors

Mardiyati Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Slamet Lestari Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijetr.v3i4.233

Keywords:

Digital Leadership; Learning Community; Work Motivation; Teacher Performance; Junior High School

Abstract

The digital transformation of education requires teachers to demonstrate high performance supported by school leadership, learning communities, and strong work motivation. This study analyses the influence of principals’ digital leadership, learning community optimisation, and work motivation on the performance of junior high school teachers in Sungai Apit District, Siak Regency. A quantitative approach with an ex post facto design was employed. The population comprised all teachers in state junior high schools in Sungai Apit, while a sample of 103 teachers was selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through four-point Likert questionnaires measuring four variables and were analysed descriptively and inferentially using multiple linear regression with SPSS 26. The findings show that all variables are at high to very high levels. Partially, principals’ digital leadership and learning community optimisation do not have a significant direct effect on teacher performance, whereas work motivation has a highly significant effect and emerges as the most dominant predictor. Simultaneously, the three variables significantly influence teacher performance with a coefficient of determination of 0.924; digital leadership contributes 0.9%, learning communities 12.7%, and work motivation 78.4% to the variance in performance. These results confirm that improving teacher performance in coastal areas should prioritise strengthening work motivation supported by learning-oriented digital leadership and functional learning communities. The practical implications direct local policymakers to design professional development programmes and reward schemes that enhance motivation, build principals’ digital leadership capacity, and institutionalise learning communities as ongoing spaces for pedagogical reflection among teachers in remote and coastal regions.

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