The Influence of Transformational Leadership of the Head of Madrasah on the Performance of PAI Teachers

EDUSOSHUM Journal of Islamic Education and Social Humanities Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2025, pp. 937-948 ISSN 2776-5229 937 The Influence of Transformational Leadership of the Head of Madrasah on the Performance of PAI Teachers Andri Prayitno1, Djamaluddin Perawironegoro2, Hanif Cahyo Adi Kistoro3, Farid Setiawan4 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history Received December 02, 2025 Revisied December 28, 2025 Accepted January 30, 2026 Keywords: Transformational Leadership, Madrasah Principal, Teacher Performance, PAI Teacher, Madrasah This study aims to analyze the influence of transformational leadership of the head of the madrasa on the performance of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers at MTs. Transformational leadership is one of the leadership models that emphasizes the leader's ability to provide inspiration, motivation, and encourage positive change for the members of the organization. In the context of educational institutions, the leadership of a madrasah principal plays an important role in improving the quality of teacher performance, which in turn impacts the enhancement of learning quality. This study uses a quantitative approach with a survey method. The population in this study consists of all teachers teaching at MTs, while the research sample was determined using purposive sampling technique, considering teachers directly involved in the PAI learning process. Data collection was conducted thru the distribution of questionnaires based on indicators of transformational leadership and teacher performance. The obtained data were then analyzed using simple linear regression analysis to determine the effect of the headmaster's transformational leadership on PAI teacher performance. The research results indicate that the headmaster's transformational leadership has a positive and significant effect on PAI teacher performance. This shows that the better the implementation of transformational leadership by the head of the madrasa, the higher the performance of teachers in carrying out their professional duties, whether in planning, implementation, or evaluation of learning. Therefore, strengthening the transformational leadership of the head of the madrasa becomes one of the important strategies in improving the quality of teacher performance and the quality of education in the madrasa. 1. INTRODUCTION Education plays a very important role in shaping the quality of superior human resources, character, and the ability to face various challenges of the times. Thru the process of education, individuals not only acquire knowledge but also moral, social, and spiritual values that become the foundation of community life. In the context of national education, the success of the educational process is greatly influenced by various interconnected components, such as the curriculum, facilities, learning environment, and the quality of educators. Teachers are one of the main factors determining the success of learning in schools or madrasahs because they play a direct role in planning, implementing, and evaluating the learning process (Mulyasa, 2018). Therefore, improving teacher performance becomes one of the important aspects that need to be considered in efforts to enhance the quality of education. Teacher performance can be understood as the level of success a teacher achieves in carrying out their professional duties and responsibilities as an educator. The performance encompasses various aspects, such as the ability to plan lessons, implement the learning process effectively, conduct learning evaluations, and guide and develop students' potential. A Andri Prayitno et.al (The Influence of Transformational Leadership of the Head of Madrasah) EDUSOSHUM Journal of Islamic Education and Social Humanities Vol. 5, No. 3, December 2025, pp. 937-948 ISSN 2776-5229 938 teacher with good performance will be able to create an active, innovative, and enjoyable learning process, thereby improving student learning outcomes (Susanto, 2020). Conversely, poor teacher performance can lead to low-quality learning and suboptimal achievement of educational goals. Therefore, various strategic efforts are needed to improve teacher performance, one of which is thru effective leadership in the school or madrasah environment. In practice, the head of the madrasah is expected to provide motivation, build a positive work culture, and create a conducive work environment for teachers to carry out their duties (Wahjosumidjo, 2019). With effective leadership, the head of the madrasah can encourage the improvement of teachers' professionalism and enhance the quality of the learning process at the madrasah. One of the leadership models widely studied in the field of education is transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is a leadership style that emphasizes the leader's ability to inspire, motivate, and encourage organizational members to achieve common goals thru positive change. Transformational leaders not only focus on achieving organizational targets but also on developing the individual potential of organizational members so that they can work optimally and have a high commitment to the organization (Northouse, 2019). In the context of education, a madrasah principal who applies transformational leadership is expected to create an inspiring work atmosphere and encourage teachers to continuously improve their competencies and performance. Transformational leadership has several key characteristics, including idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Intellectual stimulation encourages teachers to think creatively and innovatively in developing learning strategies, while individualized consideration shows the leader's concern for the needs and professional development of each teacher (Yukl, 2020). The application of these principles in madrasah leadership is believed to significantly enhance teacher work motivation and performance. In recent years, various studies have shown that the leadership of school principals or madrasah heads is closely related to teacher performance. Effective leadership can create a positive work climate, increase work motivation, and encourage teachers to perform their duties more professionally (Suharsaputra, 2020). In the madrasah, Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers play a very important role in instilling religious, moral, and character values in students. Therefore, the performance of PAI teachers becomes one of the important factors in the success of the educational process in madrasahs (Fathurrohman, 2018). Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers are not only required to master the learning material but also to be role models for students in their daily lives. However, in practice, various issues related to teacher performance are still found, such as a lack of innovation in teaching, low work motivation, and suboptimal use of teaching methods and media. These c (...truncated)