Path Analysis of Teacher Performance as a Mediator of the Effect of Principal Leadership on Student Academic Achievement in Vocational Secondary Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58192/profit.v5i3.5051Keywords:
Mediation Analysis, Principal Leadership, Student Academic Achievement, Teacher Performance, Vocational EducationAbstract
This study evaluates and tests the structural relationship model between principal leadership, teacher performance, and student academic achievement at SMK Negeri 2 Medan, by positioning teacher performance as a mediating variable. A quantitative approach with an explanatory survey design was applied to a population of 138 vocational teachers, from which a sample of 103 respondents was selected using simple random sampling. Data on principal leadership and teacher performance were gathered via verified Likert-scale questionnaires, while student achievement data were obtained objectively from official school archives containing aggregated report cards and examination scores. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression and stepwise path mediation analysis evaluated via the Sobel test within SPSS 25. The results reveal that: (1) principal leadership has a positive and significant effect on student academic achievement (beta = 0.457, p < 0.05); (2) principal leadership has a positive and significant effect on teacher performance (beta = 0.551, p < 0.05); (3) teacher performance has a positive and significant effect on student achievement (beta = 0.365, p < 0.05); and (4) teacher performance significantly acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between principal leadership and student achievement, as the direct impact coefficient significantly declined to 0.305 upon including the mediator in the model. Simultaneously, both independent variables explain 30.7% of the variance in student achievement (R-squar =0.307, F=22,156, p=0.000). This study suggests that educational management should integrate instructional leadership enhancement with teachers' pedagogical professional development to optimize academic outcomes in vocational education institutions.
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