The Effects of Principal Leadership, Exemplary Leadership, and Decision-Making on The Job Satisfaction of Teachers at Public High Schools in Jambi Province
Abstract
In this study, teacher job satisfaction at public high schools in Jambi Province is viewed as related to the quality of principal leadership, exemplary leadership, and the decision-making process. This study aims to analyze the direct and indirect effects of the principal s leadership (X1), exemplary leadership (X2), and decision-making (X3) on teachers job satisfaction (X4). The study employs a quantitative approach with an explanatory causal survey design. Data were collected via a 1 5 Likert-scale questionnaire from 96 civil servant teachers selected through proportionate stratified random sampling from a population of 836 teachers at three public high schools representing the Jambi Province region. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and path analysis with the aid of SPSS and SEM. The results showed that the principal s leadership had a significant direct effect on teachers job satisfaction with a path coefficient of 0.320, t = 3.276, Sig. = 0.001, and R = 0.102. Exemplary leadership also had a significant direct effect with a path coefficient of 0.479, t = 5.297, Sig. = 0.000. The direct relationship between leadership and exemplary leadership and decision-making was not significant, while the direct effect of decision-making on teachers job satisfaction was also reported as not significant (coefficient 0.032; t = 0.313; Sig. = 0.755). However, the source text reported an indirect effect of leadership and exemplary behavior on teachers job satisfaction through decision-making, with determination contributions of 8.6% and 21.4%, respectively. The combined model of leadership, exemplary behavior, and decision-making on teachers job satisfaction was reported to have R = 0.500, R = 0.250, F = 10.246, and Sig. = 0.000. These findings are understood within the framework of Islamic Educational Management through the concepts of uswatun hasanah, amanah, justice, shura, and data-driven decision-making.