Effects of Transformational Leadership, Teacher Working Group Participation, and Work Motivation on Elementary Teachers’ Pedagogical Competence in Kemuning District Indragiri Hilir Regency

This study aims to analyze the effects of principals’ transformational leadership, participation in the Teacher Working Group (KKG), and work motivation on elementary teachers’ pedagogical competence in Kemuning District, Indragiri Hilir Regency. The research employed a quantitative approach with a survey design, involving 144 teachers selected by proportional random sampling from a total population of 225 teachers. The instrument was a Likert-scale questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results show that, simultaneously, the three independent variables contribute significantly to teachers’ pedagogical competence with R² = 0.628 and F = 78.819 (p < 0.001), meaning that 62.8% of the variance in pedagogical competence is explained by the model. However, partially, only work motivation had a significant effect (B = 0.754, β = 0.675, t = 7.406, p < 0.001), whereas transformational leadership and KKG participation did not have significant effects. These findings affirm the importance of strengthening work motivation in efforts to improve teachers’ pedagogical competence, and underscore the need for evidence-based policies to support innovation and teacher professionalism at the elementary school level.