Transformational Leadership as a Mediator Between Parent Involvement and School Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51454/jet.v7i1.796Keywords:
parent involvement, school climate, SEM-PLS, educational leadership, Transformational LeadershipAbstract
This study investigates the mediating role of transformational leadership in the relationship between parent involvement and school climate, as perceived by teachers. A preliminary bibliometric mapping using VOSviewer was conducted to identify current research trends and gaps related to these constructs, providing a conceptual foundation for the empirical model. Using a quantitative causal–correlational design, data were collected from 93 teachers from ten top-ranking junior high schools in Bandung, Indonesia. Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4.0 was employed to assess direct and indirect relationships among the constructs. The findings indicate that parent involvement significantly influences both school climate (β = 0.230, p = 0.002) and transformational leadership (β = 0.740, p < 0.001). Transformational leadership also has a positive effect on school climate (β = 0.580, p < 0.001) and partially mediates the relationship between parent involvement and school climate (β = 0.429, p < 0.001). These results highlight the importance of integrating external parental engagement with internal leadership practices to foster a supportive, collaborative, and positive school environment. The study contributes to the refinement of School Climate Theory by demonstrating how community participation and leadership dynamics jointly shape the school’s organizational atmosphere.
Downloads
References
Alinsunurin, J. (2020). School Learning Climate in the Lens of Parental Involvement and School Leadership: Lessons for Inclusiveness Among Public Schools. Smart Learning Environments, 7(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-020-00139-2
Alzoraiki, D., Abdulrab, M., Saeed, Y., & Al-Shaibah, A. (2024). The role of transformational leadership in enhancing school culture and teaching performance in Yemeni public schools. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1413607. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1413607
Berkowitz, R., Astor, R. A., Pineda, D., DePedro, K. T., Weiss, E. L., & Benbenishty, R. (2021). Parental Involvement and Perceptions of School Climate in California. Urban Education, 56(3), 393–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085916685764
Eden, C. A., Chisom, O. N., & Adeniyi, I. S. (2024). Parent And Community Involvement In Education: Strengthening Partnerships For Social Improvement. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences, 6(3), 372–382. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijarss.v6i3.894
Chotimah, C., Wulandari, M. P., & Nasution, Z. (2024). Enhancing School Reputation Through Effective Stakeholder Engagement. SANGKéP: Jurnal Kajian Sosial Keagamaan, 7(2), 290–308. https://doi.org/10.20414/sangkep.v7i2.11166
Đurišić, M., Bunijevac, M., & Duhanaj, N. (2023). The Relationship of School Climate and Parental Involvement in Children’s Education: A Research Review. Društvene i Humanističke Studije (Online), 8(1(22)), 269–280. https://doi.org/10.51558/2490-3647.2023.8.1.269
Epstein, J. L. (2018). School, Family, and Community Partnerships. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494673
Fidan, T., & Balcı, A. (2017). Managing schools as complex adaptive systems: A strategic perspective. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 10(1), 11–26.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.
Hadiyanto, & Mathew, B. (2023). Classroom & School Climate: Theory, Research, Development, and Implication. Penerbit Pustaka Tunggal.
Haerani, R. (2024). Development Of Social Education Innovations In Informatics And Multidisciplinary Bases To Improve The Welfare Of Society In Indonesia. Edusight International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.69726/eijoms.v1i1.10
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage Publications.
Heenan, I. W., De Paor, D., Lafferty, N., & McNamara, P. M. (2023). The impact of transformational school leadership on school staff and school culture in primary schools: A systematic review of international literature. Societies, 13(6), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13060133
Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2013). Educational Administration: Theory, Research, and Practice (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Kershner, B., & McQuillan, P. (2016). Complex Adaptive Schools: Educational Leadership and School Change. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, 13(1), 4–29.
Koutsouveli, E., & Geraki, A. A. (2022). School Management and Climate to Enhance Parental Involvement. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 8(4), 662–679. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.2921
Lewno-Dumdie, B. M., Mason, B. A., Hajovsky, D. B., & Villeneuve, E. F. (2020). Student-Report Measures of School Climate: A Dimensional Review. School Mental Health, 12(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-019-09340-2
McCarley, T. A., Peters, M. L., & Decman, J. M. (2016). Transformational leadership related to school climate. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44(2), 322–342. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143214549966
McCowan, T. (2019). The Role of Education in Development (pp. 27–58). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19597-7_2
Mera-Lemp, M. J., Pizarro, J. J., & Guglielmetti-Serrano, F. (2025). Bridging cultures: the role of school’s cultural diversity climate and cultural sensitivity in immigrant parents’ school involvement. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1561863
Osias Kit T. Kilag, Felix M. Diano, Marsha H. Malbas, Debra P. Mansueto, Se P. Villar, & John Michael Sasan. (2023). The Role of Servant Leadership in Creating a Positive School Climate. International Journal of Integrative Sciences, 2(11), 1773–1782. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v2i11.6900
Povey, J., Campbell, A. K., Willis, L.-D., Haynes, M., Western, M., Bennett, S., Antrobus, E., & Pedde, C. (2016). Engaging parents in schools and building parent-school partnerships: The role of school and parent organisation leadership. International Journal of Educational Research, 79, 128–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.07.005
Sari, Y., & Lestari, S. (2025). Ethical Leadership Strategies of School Principals: Fostering a Harmonious and Productive Teacher Work Environment. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 17(1), 489–499.
Simbre, A. P., Buenaventura, Ma. L. D., Aquino, J. M., Vera, J. L. de, & Vera, M. G. D. de. (2023). The Effect of School Heads’ Leadership Style on Learners’ Perception of School Climate. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 21(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jam.2023.021.1.01
Singh, Dr. M., Srivastava, Dr. N., & Joshi, Dr. K. (2024). Enhancing Senior Secondary School Students Success: Dynamics Of School Climate. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i6.6323
Sukmayadi, V., & Yahya, A. (2020). Indonesian education landscape and the 21st century challenges. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 11(4), 219–234.
Sultana, N., Ayoob, M., Samson, H., & Saeed, A. (2024). Explore How Transformational Leadership Styles Impact Educational Environments and Student. Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), 13(3), 500–507. https://doi.org/10.61506/01.00530
Takala, T. (2010). Contributions of Formal Education to Social Development – What do we Know on the Basis of Research Evidence? Journal of Education and Research, 2(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3126/jer.v2i0.7616
Toprak, M., Aksu, M., & Çetin, M. (2023). Transformational leadership, school climate, and teacher collaboration: Evidence from educational institutions. International Journal of Educational Research, 121, 102181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2023.102181
Waasdorp, T. E., Bradshaw, C. P., & Duong, J. (2011). The Link Between Parents’ Perceptions of the School and Their Responses to School Bullying: Variation by Child Characteristics and the Forms of Victimization. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(2), 324–335. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022748
Yulianti, K., Denessen, E., Droop, M., & Veerman, G.-J. (2021). Transformational Leadership for Parental Involvement: How Teachers Perceive the School Leadership Practices to Promote Parental Involvement in Children’s Education. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 20(2), 277–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2019.1668424
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rini Aprilianda, Aan Komariah, Deni Kadarsah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
