THE INFLUENCE OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP, JOB STRESS, JOB SATISFACTION, AND WORK MOTIVATION ON VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE IN MEDAN, INDONESIA

Abstract

This study aims to examine and analyze the influence of spiritual leadership, job stress, job satisfaction, and work motivation on the performance of Vocational High School (VHS) teachers in Medan City. The research was conducted on 367 teachers from public and private VHS across four regions of Medan, selected through proportional random sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires developed based on theoretical indicators of each variable and validated for reliability and validity. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including correlation, multiple linear regression, and path analysis, were employed to test both direct and indirect relationships among variables. The results indicate that spiritual leadership has a significant positive effect on teacher performance both directly (β = 0.271, p = 0.002) and indirectly through work motivation (β = 0.652, p < 0.001) and job satisfaction (β = 0.603, p < 0.001). Work motivation (β = 0.322, p = 0.001) and job satisfaction (β = 0.248, p = 0.004) further enhance teacher performance, while job stress negatively affects performance (β = -0.186, p = 0.012) and job satisfaction (β = -0.317, p = 0.001). Overall, 62.1% of the variance in teacher performance can be explained by the four variables, highlighting the crucial role of spiritual leadership, motivation, satisfaction, and stress management in improving teacher effectiveness. These findings suggest that strategies aimed at enhancing teacher performance should adopt a holistic approach, emphasizing the development of spiritual leadership, fostering motivation and job satisfaction, and mitigating job-related stress to create a supportive and productive work environment.