The Influence of Principal Servant Leadership on Teacher Motivation in Developing 21st Century Learning: A Case Study at SMK Muhammadiyah Jatibarang, Indramayu
Abstract
Social changes in education in the 21st century encourage school principals to act as servant leaders who foster teacher motivation. However, leadership practices in vocational high schools (SMK) still tend to be administrative and fail to empower teachers to innovate. This study aims to (1) describe the implementation of servant leadership by the principal, (2) analyze the level of teacher motivation in developing 21st-century learning, and (3) test the effect of servant leadership on teacher motivation at SMK Muhammadiyah Jatibarang, Indramayu. The study used a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design with 35 teachers as the quantitative sample (saturated sampling), and the principal, purposively selected through extreme-case and maximum-variation sampling, as qualitative informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression, while qualitative data were analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña model. The results showed that servant leadership (84.4 % of the ideal score) and teacher motivation (81.2% of the ideal score) were in the very high category. Servant leadership had a significant positive effect on teacher motivation (Y = 41.527 + 1.037X; r = 0.782; R² = 0.612; t = 7.212; p < 0.05), confirming the qualitative findings that empowerment, professional support, and moral role models were the main mechanisms. This research contributes to the expansion of servant leadership theory and self-determination theory in the context of Islamic value-based vocational education. It offers a strategic leadership model for vocational school principals to encourage motivation and innovation in 21st-century learning.
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