Transformational Leadership and Human Resource Quality in Educating in Rural High Schools in Indonesia: The Mediating Role of Human Resource Performance in Education and Work Motivation
Keywords:
Indonesia; leadership; motivation; performance; teacher; transformational leadership; rural areasAbstract
Indonesian high school students in underdeveloped areas often have lower literacy skills than students in urban areas. One reason for this is poor educational management and leadership in schools. This study aimed to analyse the effect of transformational leadership on the human resource quality in education, performance and motivation as mediating variables in high schools in underdeveloped areas. The research approach was quantitative with a sample of 370 teachers. The study used a 5-point Likert- scale questionnaire and Structural Equation Modelling to test the relationships between the variables. The results show that transformational leadership has a significant influence on the human resource quality in education (? = 0.57; p = 0.000), teacher performance (? = 0.81; p = 0.000), and work motivation (? = 0.79; p = 0.000). Teacher performance (? = 0.49) and work motivation (? = 0.39) showed a significant influence on human resource quality management. The R² value of 0.74 indicates a strong model. Transformational leadership was found to be a key factor in improving the human resource quality in education in underdeveloped areas by encouraging motivation and performance. These findings have practical implications for principal leadership training programmes, human resource development, and education policies in underdeveloped areas.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.6.34
References
Abdulkadir, J., Hassan, A., Khadar, M., Abdi, T., Hassan, Y., & Axmed, M. (2025). IMachine learning-driven analysis of academic performance determinants: Geographic , socio-demographic , and subject-specific influences in Somaliland ‘ s 2022 – 2023 national primary examinations. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 8, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2024.100426
Abidin, Y., Rakhmayanti, F., & Undayasari, D. (2025). Factors affecting literacy ability of elementary school students in Indonesia. Mimbar Sekolah Dasar, 12(2), 179–192. https://doi.org/10.53400/mimbar-sd.v12i2.86486
Agazu, B. G., Kero, C. A., & Debela, K. L. (2025). Transformational leadership and firm performance: A systematic literature review. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 14(29), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00476-x
AlSagri, H. S., & Sohail, S. S. (2024). Evaluating the role of Artificial Intelligence in sustainable development goals with an emphasis on “quality education”. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00682-9
Altynbassov, B., Bayanbayeva, A., & Tolegen, M. (2024). A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of trends in higher education leadership in the Global South, 2013-2023 : Contemporary perspectives and developments. International Journal of Educational Research, 127, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102421
Alviz, A. A., & Opina, A. S. (2024). How transformational leadership enhancing school’s performance: A systematic literature review. SSRN Electronic Journal, 7(2), 200–213. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4877278
Anastasiou, S. (2025). Counteracting toxic leadership in education: Transforming schools through emotional intelligence and ethical leadership. Administrative Sciences, 15(8), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15080312
Arciniegas-Romero, G., Narváez-Pinango, M., Pozo-Revelo, D., & Álvarez-Tinajero, N. (2025). Socio-emotional competencies of mathematics teachers in the learning environment of high school students: A systematic review learning environment of high school students. Cogent Education, 12(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2505267
Ay, F. A. (2025). The relationship between work motivation and productivity : Bibliometric analysis of articles from 1953 to 2024. Human Systems Management, 44(1), 187–205. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-240020
Ayana, A., Alene, M., & Shiferaw, G. (2025). Secondary school principals ‘ adaptive leadership practices amid the quality education crisis in Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101349
Bijaksana, A., Negara, P., Pradana, M., Silvianita, A., & Rubiyanti, N. (2024). Optimizing transformational leadership and knowledge management as keys to innovation. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i4.4071
Bilbokait?, R., Bilbokait?-Skiauterien?, I., Fjodorova, I., Kravale-Pauli?a, M., Olehnovi?a, E., Szplit, A., & Zbróg, Z. (2024). Global competences for principals: Enabling change for sustainable education. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 26(2), 141–161. https://doi.org/10.2478/jtes-2024-0020
Blanco-García, Y., Serrano, R. M., & Casanova, O. (2025). Toward a transversal education model: A review of digital and artistic-musical competencies (2014–2024 ). Arts Education Policy Review, 126(4), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2025.2459917
Carrington, S. J., & Andrade, A. E. (2024). Heliyon educational spaces: The relation between school infrastructure and learning outcomes. Heliyon, 10, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38361
Deliarte-Ramos, R. (2025). Transformational leadership in education : Impacts and practices toward enhancing school performance. Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 3(9), 527–536. https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2025.574
Gad, S., Al-Rawashda, A. Z., Ismail, A. K., & El-Samee, N. N. A. (2025). Quality of family life in relation to social competence: The perspective of adolescents. SSRN. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5060430
Gaonkar, S., & Sukthankar, S. V. (2025). Heliyon measuring and evaluating the influence of cultural sustainability indicators on sustainable cultural tourism development : Scale development and validation. Heliyon, 11(4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42514
Hajirasouli, A., & Banihashemi, S. (2022). Augmented reality in architecture and construction education: State of the field and opportunities. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 19(39), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00343-9
Hajipour, A., Laki, M., Karimzadeh, Y., Kianimoghadam, A. S., Khanmohamadi, Z., & Dowlatshah, E. (2025). Psychometric properties of the Short Index of Self-actualization Scale (SISA) in an Iranian sample. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry Behavioral Science, 19(2), e153895. https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpbs-153895
Han, X., Luo, H., Wang, Z., & Zhang, D. (2025). Using virtual reality for teacher education: A systematic review and meta-analysis of literature from 2014 to 2024. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 22, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2025.1620905
Indriyani, N. (2025). From policy frameworks to classrooms: ELF challenges in Indonesia. Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 3(2), 73–83. https://doi.org/10.70210/amrj.v3i2.138
Karakose, T., Gurr, D., Tülüba?, T., & Kanadl?, S. (2026). What factors mediate the relationship between leadership for learning and teacher professional development? Evidence from meta-analytic structural equation modelling. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 54(3), 907–930. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432241308461
Karim, A., Fathurohman, O., Sulaiman, S., Marliani, L., Muhammadun, M., Firmansyah, B., … Marliani, L. (2025). How do principals act as leaders and managers in boarding and public schools in Indonesia ? How do principals act as leaders and managers in boarding and. Cogent Education, 12(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2445354
Kassaw, C., Demareva, V., Negash, M., & Sime, Y. (2024). Psychosocial determinants of academic achievement in Ethiopian higher education students, 2024. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon, 10(17), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36465
Khalfan, A., Risi, A., Idris, N., & Saleem, I. (2025). A qualitative inquiry of teachers ‘ attrition phenomenon in Omanian public schools. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101458
Kineber, A. F., Oke, A. E., Elshaboury, N., Elseknidy, M., Alhusban, M., & Zamil, A. (2024). Exploring radio frequency identification tools for sustainable construction projects: A hybrid structural equation modeling and deep neural network approaches. Cogent Engineering, 11(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2024.2402052
Luo, X., Alias, B. S., & Adnan, N. H. (2024). Exploring the interplay between teacher leadership and self-efficacy: A systematic literature review (2013–2024). Education Sciences, 14(9), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090990
Marlia, M. A., Fahmy, R., Lukito, H., & Games, D. (2025). An exploratory study on effective leadership and change management in the transformation of Indonesian public universities towards world-class university status. Sustainability, 17(3), 1–40. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031300
Mifsud, D. (2024). A systematic review of school distributed leadership : exploring research purposes , concepts and approaches in the field between 2010 and 2022. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 54(2), 154–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2022.2158181
Nadeem, M. (2024). Distributed leadership in educational contexts: A catalyst for school improvement. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100835
Nawas, A., Darmawan, I. G. N., & Maadad, N. (2025). Certified to succeed ? Multilevel analysis of the effects of teacher certification on educator well-being and student outcomes in Indonesia. Teaching and Teacher Education, 162, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2025.105069
Njaramba, F. (2024). Heliyon transformational leadership in a crisis : Dimensional analysis with psychological capital. Heliyon, 10(16), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35900
Parveen, K., Phuc, T. Q. B., Alghamdi, A. A., Kumar, T., Aslam, S., Shafiq, M., & Saleem, A. (2024). The contribution of quality management practices to student performance: Mediated by school culture. Heliyon, 10(15), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34892
Román-Cortéz, K. R., Cisneros, J. T.C., Trejo, C. A., & Chapín, M. P. C. (2025) Transformational leadership and its impact on educational innovation in Ecuador: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1630004
Samala, A. D., Rawas, S., Criollo-c, S., Bondarenko, O., Samala, A. G., & Novaliendry, D. (2024). Harmony in education: An in-depth exploration of Indonesian academic landscape, challenges, and prospects towards the Golden Generation 2045 Vision. TEM Journal, 13(3), 2436–2456. https://doi.org/10.18421/TEM133-71
Satwika, P. A., Suhariadi, F., & Samian. (2025). Exploring proactive work behavior: A scoping review of research trends and theories. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2465904
Setyaningrum, A. E., & Rahmania, F. A. (2025). Applying Maslow's motivation theory to enhance teacher productivity in Islamic boarding schools. Asian Journal of Collaboration of Social Environment and Education, 3(1), 30–44. https://doi.org/10.61511/ajcsee.v3i1.2025.1942
Shaoan, M. M. R., Namanyane, T., Feng, M., & Arif, M. (2024). A systematic literature review on the importance of teacher recruitment and retention in global educational reform. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1447752
Sihombing, R. A., Muslim, M., Rahman, T., & Winarno, N. (2024). Enhancing quality education in Indonesia : A literature review of STEM-ESD landscape contributions. Indonesian Society for Science Educator, 7(April), 213–226. https://doi.org/10.17509/jsl.v7i3.69046
Suherman, I., Fauziah, S. P., Roestamy, M., Bilad, M. R., Abduh, A., & Nandiyanto, A. B. D. (2023). How to improve student understanding in learning science by regulating strategy in language education? Definition, factors for enhancing students’ comprehension, and computational bibliometric review analysis. International Journal of Language Education, 7(3), 527–562. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v7i3.56014
Tamadoni, A., & Hosseingholizadeh, R. (2024). A systematic review of key contextual challenges facing school principals: Research- informed coping solutions. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(1), 116–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211061439
Tran, C. A., Van, D. H., Thuy, T., Nguyen, P., & Thanh, T. T. (2025). Research in higher education quality assurance worldwide ( 2003–2023 ): A bibliometric analysis from the Scopus database. Cogent Education, 12(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2479405
Warisno, A. (2025). Transformative Islamic education management in Madrasah and Pesantren integrating tradition and digital innovation. Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change, 10(2), 276–289. https://doi.org/10.64753/jcasc.v10i2.1596
Xun, X., & Barkhuizen, G. (2025). Institutional leaders and teacher research: Roles, interactions, and impacts. System, 130, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103616
Yoshihara, M., Tanabe, K., Teramoto, C., Sawatari, H., & Lei, R. (2025). Development and validation of a nursing practice scale for supporting fertility preservation decision-making in women with cancer. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing, 12, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjon.2025.100808
You, C., Awang, S. R., & Wu, Y. (2024). Bibliometric analysis of global research trends on higher education leadership development using Scopus database from 2013–2023. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00432-x
Yu, H. (2024). The application and challenges of ChatGPT in educational transformation: New demands for teachers’ roles. Heliyon, 10(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24289
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Imran Imran , Iwan Ramadhan, Hadi Wiyono

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).