Developing a Teacher Performance Enhancement Model Based on School Principal Leadership Strategies in Public Senior High Schools in Simeulue Regency

This study examines the strategies employed by school principals in improving teacher performance to create quality learning processes at State Senior High Schools (SMA Negeri) in Simeulue Regency, Aceh Province. Simeulue is a remote island district categorized as a 3T (Tertinggal, Terdepan, Terluar) region, presenting unique educational challenges including geographic isolation, limited educational infrastructure, and difficulties in teacher recruitment and retention. Using a qualitative descriptive multiple case study design, this research was conducted across three schools: SMAN 2, SMAN 3, and SMAN 4 Simeulue. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation involving 12 informants comprising principals, vice-principals, teachers, and education staff. Data analysis employed the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña interactive model with NVivo 12 Plus software, and validity was established through Lincoln and Guba's trustworthiness criteria. The findings reveal that principals in Simeulue apply five key strategies: (1) transformational leadership through vision-based motivation; (2) academic supervision using clinical and collegial approaches; (3) professional development through training, worKShop facilitation, and PKB programs; (4) school culture development that fosters collaboration and discipline; and (5) utilization of Kurikulum Merdeka policy frameworKS to enhance learning innovation. These strategies collectively demonstrate significant positive impacts on teacher performance indicators and the quality of differentiated and active learning processes across the three schools. The study contributes a contextually relevant leadership model for remote island school settings in Indonesia.