Principal Leadership in Improving Teacher Professionalism (A Case Study in Senior High School of Tulungagung, East Java, Indonesia)

The current study was conducted using a qualitative approach in the phenomenology perspective. The research subjects consisted of the Principal, Head of Administration, and several teachers in the field of study in one of high schools in Tulungagung District, East Java, Indonesia. The research findings are 1). The Principal has a democratic leadership style in increasing the professionalism of the teachers. The implementation of its leadership includes treating subordinates/teachers like family members who must be given the same opportunity to increase their professionalism, being open to receive suggestions and criticism from subordinates, communicating policies and problems together with the subordinates, giving trust to subordinates, building a work team in a family manner, building work passion, and sharing the workload fairly. 2). The efforts of the Principal in increasing teacher professionalism are by applying various efforts, namely listening to ideas and suggestions from teachers, completing and clarifying errors in the principal and teacher mistakes, expressing wishes; providing input and trying to solve teacher problems, sharing tasks together, or giving more compliment to teachers who are diligent and having achievements.