Journal of Social Work and Science Education
Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026): Forthcoming Issue

Teachers’ Professional Competence, School Climate, and Student Achievement: A Quantitative Study of Indonesian Public Senior High Schools

Yusnita Yusnita (Universitas PGRI Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia)
Tri Widayatsih (Universitas PGRI Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia)
Muhammad Fahmi (Universitas PGRI Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
21 May 2026

Abstract

This study examines the effect of teacher professional competence and school climate on student achievement in public senior high schools. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed with a sample of 152 respondents (100 students and 52 teachers) selected through proportionate stratified random sampling from three public senior high schools in Sungai Lilin District, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Data were collected using validated questionnaires (90 items, 5-point Likert scale) and analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression. Findings indicate that: (1) teacher professional competence has a significant positive effect on student achievement (β = 0.569, p < 0.001); (2) school climate also significantly affects student achievement (β = 0.219, p < 0.001); and (3) jointly, both variables explain 56.4% of the variance in student achievement (F = 34.015, p < 0.001, R² = 0.564). These results underscore the importance of investing in teacher professional development and fostering a positive school climate to enhance academic outcomes. However, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, and generalizability is limited to similar Indonesian rural-adjacent contexts. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and include objective achievement measures beyond self-reported perceptions.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jswse

Publisher

Subject

Religion Economics, Econometrics & Finance Education Environmental Science Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

The Journal of Social Work and Science Education (JSWSE) is firmly established as an authoritative voice in the world of social work and science education with E-ISSN: 2723-6919 and P-ISSN 2746-0827. JSWSE publishes scholarly papers that focus on the social science, teaching and learning, science in ...