Journal of Innovation and Research in Primary Education
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026)

The Effect of Principals’ Instructional Leadership and Teacher Learning Communities on Learning Quality in Elementary Schools

Ratna Kusuma Ningrum (Universitas PGRI Semarang)
Widya Kusumaningsih (Universitas PGRI Semarang)
Joko Sulianto (Universitas PGRI Semarang)



Article Info

Publish Date
26 Mar 2026

Abstract

Learning quality in primary schools is shaped by multiple institutional factors, yet the combined influence of principals' instructional leadership and teacher learning communities remains empirically underexplored, particularly in Indonesian elementary school contexts. This study employed a quantitative correlational survey design involving 92 teachers selected through proportional random sampling from public elementary schools in Gubug District, Grobogan Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. Data were collected using three validated questionnaires measuring instructional leadership, learning community activities, and learning quality, and were analysed through multiple linear regression. Results indicate that instructional leadership significantly predicts learning quality (β = 0.512, R² = 0.279, p < 0.001), as does learning community activities (β = 0.467, R² = 0.247, p < 0.001). Crucially, their simultaneous effect accounts for 46.8% of the variance in learning quality (F(2,89) = 41.93, p < 0.001), substantially exceeding either variable's independent contribution. These findings demonstrate that instructional leadership and professional learning communities operate synergistically rather than additively, positioning principal-led direction as a structural precondition for productive teacher collaboration. Schools seeking to improve instructional quality should therefore develop both components in an integrated and sustained manner.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jirpe

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Mathematics Other

Description

Journal of Innovation and Research in Primary Education (JIRPE) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes original research and review articles primarily but limited to the area of elementary school education. It brings together academics and researchers from different countries who ...