Examining the Mediating Role of Work Motivation in the Relationship between Principals’ Leadership, Work Climate, and Kindergarten Teachers’ Performance

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of principals’ leadership and the work climate on teachers’ performance, with work motivation positioned as a mediating factor. A quantitative research design was applied through a survey approach. The study involved kindergarten teachers in the North Bekasi District, with 77 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out using a Likert-scale questionnaire, and the data were analyzed through Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that the work climate has a positive and significant impact on teachers’ performance, whereas principals’ leadership does not show a significant effect on teachers’ performance or work motivation. In addition, the work climate does not significantly affect work motivation. Work motivation, however, has a positive and significant influence on teachers’ performance, although it does not function as a mediator in the relationship between principals’ leadership and teachers’ performance, nor between the work climate and teachers’ performance. Overall, the results indicate that teachers’ performance is more strongly shaped by a supportive work environment and the level of teachers’ motivation. Consequently, efforts to improve teachers’ performance and enhance educational quality should prioritize the creation of a positive work climate and the strengthening of teachers’ work motivation.