THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN'S TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP ON TEACHER MOTIVATION, TRUST IN LEADERS, AND ITS IMPACT ON INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR

This study aims to analyze the influence of female transformational leadership, teacher motivation, and trust in leaders on innovative behavior among teachers in senior high schools and vocational high schools led by female principals. The background of this study is based on the importance of teachers' innovative behavior in supporting the improvement of educational quality amid the increasingly dynamic development and changes in the educational environment. This study employed a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) for data analysis. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 183 teachers from senior high schools and vocational high schools led by female principals. The results indicate that female transformational leadership has a significant effect on teacher motivation and trust in leaders. In addition, teacher motivation significantly affects trust in leaders and innovative behavior. However, trust in leaders does not have a significant effect on innovative behavior. Female transformational leadership also does not directly influence innovative behavior. The mediation analysis reveals that teacher motivation fully mediates the relationship between female transformational leadership and innovative behavior (full mediation). Meanwhile, trust in leaders is unable to mediate the relationship between female transformational leadership and innovative behavior (no mediation). Furthermore, teacher motivation and trust in leaders in a sequential mediation model are also unable to mediate the relationship between female transformational leadership and innovative behavior. These findings indicate that improving teachers' innovative behavior can be achieved more effectively through enhancing teacher motivation fostered by female transformational leadership.