Academic supervision, altruistic leadership, trust, and teacher enjoyment: Analyzing their influence on teacher performance in Bungo Regency

Abstract

This study examines the influence of academic supervision and altruistic leadership on teacher performance through the mediating roles of teacher enjoyment and trust in school leaders among high school teachers in Bungo Regency, Indonesia. Grounded in growing evidence that leadership behaviors, supervisory quality, and teachers’ emotional experiences shape professional performance, this research explores how these variables interact within a contemporary educational context. Using a quantitative causal survey design, data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to 503 teachers across 19 public high schools, with 98 valid responses analyzed using SEM-PLS. The findings indicate that academic supervision does not directly improve teacher performance, but significantly increases trust in school leaders (β = 0.610, p < 0.001). Altruistic leadership also does not directly predict performance; however, it significantly enhances teacher enjoyment (β = 0.315, p = 0.035). Teacher enjoyment emerges as the strongest predictor of teacher performance (β = 0.469, p < 0.001), highlighting the dominant role of positive emotional experiences in shaping instructional effectiveness. Several indirect effects particularly those involving enjoyment as a mediator approach significance, suggesting complex psychological pathways connecting leadership and performance. The study underscores the importance of instructional supervision that is developmental rather than administrative, leadership practices rooted in empathy and moral concern, and school initiatives that prioritize teacher well-being. These findings highlight the need for holistic leadership and supervision approaches that integrate emotional, relational, and professional dimensions to enhance teacher performance and educational quality.