Indonesian Journal of Educational Management and Leadership
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): Indonesian Journal of Educational Management and Leadership (in Press)

The relationship between school culture and school quality: The mediating role of teacher integrity

Muhammad Zidan Nur Ihsan (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia)
Bambang Sumardjoko (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia)
Furqan Mawardi (Universitas Muhammadiyah Mamuju, Indonesia)
Syahril Syahril (Universitas Muhammadiyah Mamuju, Indonesia)
Istanto Istanto (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia)
Sahensyah Luthfi (Kiel University of Applied Sciences, Germany)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Jun 2026

Abstract

Purpose – Post-pandemic evidence indicates a decline in educational quality across many developing countries. Reports from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Indonesian Ministry of Education have documented learning losses and quality deterioration following Covid-19. While previous studies have identified school culture as an important determinant of school quality, limited attention has been given to the behavioral mechanisms through which this influence operates. This study examines the relationship between school culture and school quality, with teacher integrity as a mediating variable.Method – A quantitative research design was employed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Data were collected from 232 teachers of Muhammadiyah junior high schools in the Solo Raya region, Indonesia, through purposive sampling.Findings – The results revealed that school culture significantly influenced teacher integrity (β = 0.621, p < 0.001), and teacher integrity significantly influenced school quality (β = 0.830, p < 0.001). However, the direct effect of school culture on school quality was not significant (β = 0.055, p = 0.316). Teacher integrity fully mediated the relationship between school culture and school quality (β = 0.516, p < 0.001), indicating that the effectiveness of school culture in enhancing institutional quality depends on the extent to which organizational values are translated into teachers’ ethical and professional conduct.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jemal

Publisher

Subject

Education

Description

Indonesian Journal of Educational Management and Leadership (IJEMAL) is a peer-reviewed journal that aims to contribute to the field of educational management and leadership by providing a platform for scholars, researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers to share their research ...