The Contribution of School Work Climate and Principal Leadership to Teacher Performance in Junior High Schools: Evidence from a PLS-SEM Model

Abstract

Teacher performance is central to junior secondary education, but the relative predictive strength of school work climate and principal leadership remains unclear. This study examined the predictive relationships of these two factors with teacher performance and identified the stronger predictor. A quantitative associative-predictive design was applied to 65 teachers from two junior high schools in Godean, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, during the 2025/2026 academic year. Data were collected using a self-reported 27-item five-point Likert questionnaire and analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling. All 27 items met the reported loading, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability criteria. School work climate (β = 0.402, p < 0.001, f² = 0.324) and principal leadership (β = 0.539, p < 0.001, f² = 0.584) were positively and significantly associated with teacher performance. Together, they explained 51.1 per cent of its variance, with Q² = 0.289. Principal leadership was the stronger predictor. The findings support strengthening instructional guidance and motivation by principals while maintaining a supportive work climate. Because the data were self-reported and collected at one point in time from two schools, causal inference and broader generalisation are limited.