Situational Leadership and Work Culture in Relation to Teacher Professional Competence in Public Elementary Schools

Fitri Aprillia; Moh. Suryadi Syarif; Ihsana El Khuluqo

doi:10.51574/jrip.v6i3.5881

Authors

Fitri Aprillia Program Studi Magister Manajemen Pendidikan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. HAMKA, Indonesia
Moh. Suryadi Syarif Program Studi Magister Manajemen Pendidikan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. HAMKA, Indonesia
Ihsana El Khuluqo Program Studi Magister Manajemen Pendidikan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. HAMKA, Indonesia

Keywords:

Situational Leadership, School Leadership, Work Culture, Teacher Professional Competence, Elementary Education

Abstract

Teacher professional competence depends not only on individual capabilities but also on the leadership and organizational conditions in which teachers work. Yet, relatively few studies have considered situational leadership, work culture, and professional competence together in public elementary schools. This study examined the relationships among principals’ situational leadership, work culture, and teachers’ professional competence in public elementary schools in the Pinang District, Tangerang City, Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional survey involved 160 teachers selected through proportional random sampling from a population of 267 teachers; an additional 30 teachers participated in the instrument pilot. Data were collected through five-point Likert-scale questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, assumption testing, Pearson correlations, and hypothesis testing using IBM SPSS. The results showed significant positive associations between situational leadership and professional competence (r = .940, p < .001), work culture and professional competence (r = .806, p < .001), and situational leadership and work culture (r = .866, p < .001). The strongest association was between situational leadership and professional competence. By considering the three organizational dimensions together, this study provides contextual evidence from public elementary schools. The findings point to leadership support, a collaborative work culture, and sustained professional development as interconnected features of teachers’ work environments. However, the cross-sectional and self-report design, together with the detected deviation from linearity, calls for cautious interpretation and further study using longitudinal, multi-source, and nonlinear approaches.

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