The Principal's Leadership in Implementing Performance to Improve School Quality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54150/thawalib.v6i1.678Keywords:
Leadership, Principal, School QualityAbstract
Although many studies have examined school leadership, few have specifically explored the implementation of leadership in private vocational high schools, particularly regarding performance improvement strategies and their relation to teacher development and educational quality. This study analyzes the principal's leadership in improving school quality through performance enhancement. A qualitative case study method was employed, using observation, interviews, and documentation techniques. Data were analyzed through reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing, and validated through source triangulation. The results show that the principal of PAB 8 Sampali Private Vocational High School plays a strategic role as a leader, manager, and motivator in enhancing educational quality. He effectively manages resources, implements innovations such as the “Work, Study, Entrepreneurship” program, motivates teachers, and fosters collaboration to create a conducive learning environment. Despite challenges such as policy changes and diverse student characteristics, these were addressed through teacher training and strategic adjustments. His leadership has had a significant positive impact, as evidenced by the school’s accreditation improvement from grade C to A, increased student enrollment, and enhanced achievements. Implementing the Eight National Education Standards has strengthened school quality and fulfilled stakeholder expectations. Conclusion: The principal’s leadership effectively improves educational quality through innovation, sound management, and the ability to adapt to various challenges.
References
Adams, D. (2023). Educational leadership in the twenty-first century. In Educational Leadership: Contemporary Theories, Principles, and Practices (pp. 1–15). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/9789819984947_1
Adams, D., & Hamdhiyya. (2022). Leadership in science instruction: A systematic review of research. Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education, 37(2), 247–261. https://doi.org/10.21315/apjee2022.37.2.12
Adel, D. F. B. (2019). Pulling back the curtain: The relationship between teacher quality and students' educational outcomes and its effect on the communities issues. Proceedings of International Conference on Research in Education and Science, 5(1), 89–108.
Alammary, S., & Alkhayyal, B. A. (2019). Improving quality in higher education: Considering surrounding factors. Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, 459–462.
Alzouebi, K., Al Hammadi, D. Y., Ankit, A., & Abu Khurma, O. (2025). School innovation: Building a culture through leadership and stakeholder engagement. Societies, 15(4), Article 77. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15040077
Arendse, B., Phillips, H. N., & Waghid, Z. (2024). Leadership dynamics: Managing and leading continued professional teacher development in schools to enhance learner performance. Perspectives in Education, 42(4), 305–319. https://doi.org/10.38140/pie.v42i4.7044
Arokiasamy, A. R. A., Tasaloti, M., Ngadiron, S., Hossain, S. F. A., & Tanucan, J. C. M. (2025). Leading STEM success: The role of school principals in advancing science and mathematics through instructional leadership. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(3), 545–557. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v8i3.6571
Aykac, N. (2016). Evaluation of pre-service teachers’ opinions about teaching methods and techniques applied by instructors. Egitim Arastirmalari - Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 2016(66), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2016.66.5
Baidi, B., Putra, H. R. P., & Junaidah, J. (2020). The effect of leadership style and work motivation on work productivity for teachers in all state junior high schools of Surakarta. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(3D), 67–72. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081710
Bakker, C., & Montessori, N. M. (2017). Introduction. In Complexity in Education: From Horror to Passion (pp. 3–8). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-764-1_1
Bessong, R. (2024). Creating space for teachers as curriculum leaders in secondary schools. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(8), 265–288. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.8.14
Blaum, B., & Tobin, K. (2019). Motivating the motivators: An examination of high school principals’ drive to succeed. NASSP Bulletin, 103(3), 253–267. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636519871625
Böhlmark, A., Grönqvist, E., & Vlachos, J. (2016). The Headmaster Ritual: The importance of management for school outcomes. Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 118(4), 912–940. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjoe.12149
Carvalho, J. M. S., Delgado, P., & Diogo, F. (2021). The impact of the management model on the principal’s leadership: The Portuguese case. Revista Brasileira de Educação, 26, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-24782021260070
Cheng, E. C. K. (2017). Managing school-based professional development activities. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(4), 445–454. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-02-2016-0042
Ciarko, M. (2022). Measuring the quality of educational services on the example of secondary schools in Poland. Virtual Economics, 5(3), 50–68. https://doi.org/10.34021/ve.2022.05.03(3)
Culduz, M. (2024). The impact of educational leadership in improving the learning experience. In Promoting Crisis Management and Creative Problem-Solving Skills in Educational Leadership (pp. 168–189). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8332-9.ch008
Dhanpat, K., & Naicker, S. R. (2024). Perceptions of principals and district officials regarding how the school district supports principals’ instructional leadership. Perspectives in Education, 42(4), 349–365. https://doi.org/10.38140/pie.v42i4.8510
Donaldson, M., Mavrogordato, M., Dougherty, S. M., Al Ghanem, R., & Youngs, P. (2021). Principal evaluation under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: A comprehensive policy review. Education Finance and Policy, 16(2), 347–361. https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00332
Fang, Z., Ge, M., & Li, J. (2015). The teachers’ teaching ability is the fundamental guarantee for promoting the quality of classroom teaching. Future Communication, Information and Computer Science - Proceedings of the International Conference on Future Communication, Information and Computer Science, FCICS 2014, 185–188. https://doi.org/10.1201/b18049-44
Fauzana, A., et al. (2024). Strategi kepemimpinan kepala sekolah untuk meningkatkan kinerja pendidik dan tenaga kependidikan di sekolah menengah atas. JPGI (Jurnal Penelitian Guru Indonesia), 9(2).
Gali, Y., & Schechter, C. (2020). NGO involvement in education policy: Principals' voices. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(10), 1509–1525. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-02-2020-0115
Garira, E. (2020). A proposed unified conceptual framework for quality of education in schools. SAGE Open, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019899445
Gentles, C. H., & Newman, M. (2016). Educating teacher educators: Towards a curriculum for preparing and developing teacher educators in the Caribbean. In Redefining Teacher Education for the Post-2015 Era: Global Challenges and Best Practices (pp. 173–187).
Ghavifekr, S., & Ramzy, M. I. (2020). Exploring effective leadership practices of private school principals to improve teachers’ academic excellence and students’ learning achievement. Journal of Research in Education Sciences, 65(3), 123–156. https://doi.org/10.6209/JORIES.202009_65(3).0005
Gholamshahi, A. (2017). Role of the language school's principals in academic achievements. Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics, 8(Special issue), 21–281. https://doi.org/10.22055/rals.2017.12865
Gil-Espinosa, F. J., López-Fernández, I., Cadenas-Sanchez, C., & Burgueño, R. (2024). The perspectives of school principals in Spain: Identifying professional competencies beyond their scope. School Leadership and Management, 44(4), 466–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2024.2345082
Hansen, B., & Lárusdóttir, S. H. (2015). Instructional leadership in compulsory schools in Iceland and the role of school principals. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 59(5), 583–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2014.965788
Honig, M. I., & Rainey, L. R. (2020). A teaching-and-learning approach to principal supervision. Phi Delta Kappan, 102(2), 54–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721720963234
Husain, A. N. (2024). The relationship between principals and teacher development: Evidence from the District of Columbia Public Schools. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 23(2), 370–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2022.2137042
Ip, R. K. F., Iong, S. I. F., Wu, M. X. Y., & Wang, S. S. Y. (2017). A preliminary study on teaching quality assessment from the perspective of ‘students as customers’. Proceedings of 2017 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE), 444–448. https://doi.org/10.1109/TALE.2017.8252376
Jebli, S., Foulad, R., Amellah, S., Sahib, A. O., & Bouaziz, A. (2024). Reflections on the definition of quality of education and a focus on its significance for contemporary Muslim societies. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 8(4), 1324–1332. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v8i4.1509
Kanavas, C., & Triantari, S. (2024). ?he rational decision-making and the social responsibility in the optimal functioning of the school. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), Article 2419542. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2419542
Kasa, M. D., Mahmood, M. H. H., Yaakob, M. F. M., Yusof, M. R., Omar-Fauzee, M. S., Khun-Inkeeree, H., & Sofian, F. N. R. M. (2020). The morale of supervision: The impact of technical supervision skills of teaching and learning on teachers' self-efficacy. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 9, 335–349. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4409.2020.09.32
Kitur, K., Choge, J., & Tanui, E. (2020). Relationship between principals’ transformational leadership style and secondary school students’ academic performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Bomet County, Kenya. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(2), 402–409. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080210
Le, L. K., Tran, T., Le, H. T. T., & Le, T. T. T. (2021). A study on factors affecting school principals’ competencies in Vietnam’s mountainous provinces. Management in Education, 35(4), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020620918254
Leksy, K., Gawron, G., Rosário, R., Sormunen, M., Velasco, V., Sandmeier, A., Simovska, V., Wojtasik, T., & Dadaczynski, K. (2023). The importance of school leaders in school health promotion: A European call for systematic integration of health in professional development. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 1297970. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1297970
Liu, S.-M., Huang, Y.-C., & Wang, R.-J. (2024). Challenges and professional support for principals at rural schools for sustainable development. Sustainability, 16(21), Article 9251. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219251
Macleod, L. (2020). Shaping professional development of educators: The role of school leaders. In Critical Perspectives on Teaching, Learning and Leadership: Enhancing Educational Outcomes (pp. 189–217). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6667-7_10
McLeskey, J., Billingsley, B., & Waldron, N. L. (2016). Principal leadership for effective inclusive schools. Advances in Special Education, 32, 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0270-401320160000032005
McMahon, M., & Torrance, D. (2023). Standards for school leadership and principalship. In The Palgrave Handbook of Teacher Education Research: Volume 1 (pp. 665–686). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16193-3_25
Mohapi, S. J., & Chombo, S. (2021). Governance collaboration in schools: The perceptions of principals, parents and educators in rural South Africa. Cogent Social Sciences, 7(1), Article 1994723. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.1994723
Mugwaze, F., & Smith, C. (2024). Rethinking the role of the principal in the strategic management of human capital in public secondary schools in Zimbabwe. SAGE Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241254604
Naidoo, P. (2019). Perceptions of teachers and school management teams of the leadership roles of public school principals. South African Journal of Education, 39(2), Article 1534. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v39n2a1534
Nurabadi, A., Irianto, J., Bafadal, I., Juharyanto, Gunawan, I., & Adha, M. A. (2021). The effect of instructional, transformational and spiritual leadership on elementary school teachers’ performance and students’ achievements. Cakrawala Pendidikan, 40(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v40i1.35641
Olawale, B. E. (2024). Impact of pre-service teacher education programme on mathematics student teachers’ teaching practices during school experiences. Education Sciences, 14(7), Article 762. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070762
Paganin, G., Mameli, C., Guglielmi, D., & Mazzetti, G. (2025). Transformational leadership and teacher satisfaction: The enhancing roles of professional development and learning program management. Journal of Education for Teaching, 51(2), 275–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2025.2469125
Pang, Y., & Chen, J. (2023). Exploration and practice of the evaluation system of college teaching quality based on MSF mechanism in OBE perspective. In Lecture Notes on Data Engineering and Communications Technologies (Vol. 181, pp. 901–912). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36118-0_77
Paramboor, J., Ibrahim, M. B., Musah, M. B., & Al-Hudawi, S. H. V. (2015). Teachers’ perception of the role of school administrators in motivating high school teachers. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(5), 569–575. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5p569
Pardosi, J., & Utari, T. I. (2022). Effective principal leadership behaviors to improve the teacher performance and the student achievement. F1000Research, 10, Article 465. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.51549.2
Pereda, P., Lucchesi, A., Mendes, K., & Bresolin, A. (2019). Evaluating the impact of the selection process of principal in Brazilian public schools. Nova Economia, 29(2), 591–621. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-6351/4242
Pietsch, M., Lücken, M., Thonke, F., Klitsche, S., & Musekamp, F. (2016). The relation of school leadership, instructional quality and student achievement: An argument-based validation study on the interpretations and uses of school inspection results. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 19(3), 527–555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-016-0692-4
Rachmadi, D., Yanto, H., Sukestiyarno, S., & Sutopo, Y. (2024). Navigating the dynamics of teacher job satisfaction: Leadership, supervision and performance. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(7), 1271–1298. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i7.4290
Ralebese, M. D., Jita, L. C., & Badmus, O. T. (2025). Perceptions and practices of principals: Examining instructional leadership for curriculum reform. Frontiers in Education, 10, Article 1591106. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1591106
Sayyad, S., Sayyad, F., & Ansari, I. (2024). The quality of educational services and examining the impact on engineering education. Journal of Engineering Education Transformations, 37(4), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.16920/jeet/2024/v37i4/24168
Sepuru, M. G., & Mohlakwana, M. A. (2020). The perspectives of beginner principals on their new roles in school leadership and management: A South African case study. South African Journal of Education, 40(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v40n2a1755
Shava, G., & Heystek, J. (2021). Managing teaching and learning: Integrating instructional and transformational leadership in South African schools context. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(5), 1048–1062. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-11-2020-0533
Shrivastava, S. R. B. L., Shrivastava, P. S., Mendhe, H., Tiwade, Y., & Mishra, V. (2024). Revitalizing medical education delivery through teacher led curriculum critiques: A narrative review. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 16(Suppl 2), S1091–S1095. https://doi.org/10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_1236_23
Sliškovi?, A., Buri?, I., & Kneževi?, I. (2016). Job satisfaction and burnout in teachers: The importance of perceived support from principal and work motivation. Drustvena Istrazivanja, 25(3), 371–391. https://doi.org/10.5559/di.25.3.05
Stukalova, O. V. (2018). Quality of continuing education: Specific features and conditions for objective expertise, factors of improvement. Quality - Access to Success, 19(163), 104–110.
Sulistiyarini, E., et al. (2024). Peran kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam meningkatkan mutu sekolah di sekolah dasar. Journal of Education Research, 4(3).
Tai, M. K., & Omar, A. K. (2022). Essential practices of school principals in developing professional learning communities in schools: A systematic literature review 2010–2019. International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 19(4), 291–311. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJLIC.2022.123900
Thessin, R. A., & Reyes, C. (2022). Leading in urban contexts: How principal supervisors coach principals to lead improvement. In J. Ainscow (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Education (4th ed., pp. 325–336). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.05015-6
Tsegaye, M. A., & Botha, R. J. (2020). Empowering secondary-school principals in Ethiopia to perform their instructional leadership roles more effectively. Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 60(3), 764–782. https://doi.org/10.17159/2224-7912/2020/v60n3a12
Ubaidillah, M., Imron, A., Wiyono, B. B., & Arifin, I. (2018). Innovation leadership in improving the quality of education. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 9(7), 1288–1299.
Zajda, J. (2023). Quality education in schools. Curriculum and Teaching, 38(2), 93–108. https://doi.org/10.7459/ct/38.2.07
Želvys, R., & Esenova, K. (2019). Mapping priority areas for the development of leadership competencies of school principals. Pedagogika, 135(3), 200–216. https://doi.org/10.15823/p.2019.135.11
Zhang, Y. (2022). Influence of teacher-student interaction on course learning effect in distance education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 17(10), 215–226. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v17i10.30913
Zhang, Y., Adams, D., & Cheah, K. S. L. (2023). Technology leadership for schools in the twenty-first century. In D. Adams, K. S. L. Cheah, & Y. Zhang (Eds.), Educational leadership: Contemporary theories, principles, and practices (pp. 151–165). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/9789819984947_10
Zikrani Khalilah, et al. (2023). Peningkatan kualitas kepemimpinan kepala sekolah sebagai upaya meningkatkan kinerja sekolah di MAS Al Washliyah Lubuk Pakam. Madani: Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin, 1(11).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Amelia, Amiruddin Siahaan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.












