The Impact of the Principal's Leadership on the Role of Teachers in Implementing School Literacy Activities

The Indonesian government has made significant efforts to enhance literacy at the elementary school level as a foundational aspect of students' educational development and to foster a culture of reading and writing from an early age. This research aims to understand literacy activities in elementary schools to impact students' interest and instill character by studying reading, writing, and cultural literacy. Specifically, the research seeks to determine the impact of principals' leadership on teachers' roles in implementing school literacy activities. Using a qualitative approach, the study's results demonstrate that the leadership of school principals in Cluster VI, Kota Bahagia District, South Aceh, significantly influences the implementation of school literacy programs. Principals with positive personalities, adequate knowledge, a strong understanding of the vision and mission, good decision-making abilities, and effective communication skills can support and facilitate teachers in literacy implementation. Literacy is crucial for elementary school students as it enables them to read well, write, listen, and understand the diverse cultures of Indonesia, instilling cultural character from an early age.


INTRODUCTION
Elementary school students are curious and very quick at receiving audio-visual information.Based on the results of the CCSU News report (2016), it is depicted that the condition of Indonesian literacy, especially reading, is currently ranked 60th out of 61 countries.The current state of literacy in Indonesia, especially reading, is ranked 60th out of 61 countries.Besides that organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or OECD (2021) has also released the Reading Performance in 2018 for the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which describes the low level of reading quality in Indonesia compared to other countries.The existence of this reality makes the education process in Indonesia more aimed at increasing literacy as an effort to realize national education goals to the maximum, through the School Literacy Movement program launched by the Minister of Education and Culture (Abdul Latip, 2020); (Apriliani & Utami, 2021); (Nahdi & Jatisunda, 2020).The aim is to train and motivate students to read and write to develop good character (Rizkinaswara, 2020); (Wati & Iskandar, 2020); (Guru et al., 2020), and it is hoped that in the future children will have high literacy skills (Filina et al., 2022); (Sultan Brilin Susandi Eka Wahyudhi, 2020).The meaning of literacy itself is a person's ability to read, write, speak, and listen with an emphasis on reading and writing abilities (Elendiana, 2020); (Firman et al., 2021); (Yulia & Dewi, 2020); (Simarmata et al., 2020).
In the process of implementing school literacy activities, of course, there is a need for the role of a leader (Diklat et al., 2021), namely the school principal, to carry out his leadership role in managing and coordinating his members to achieve the vision and mission; school goals; national education goals through cultivating literacy in schools (Supriani et al., 2022); (Winarsih, 2023); (Mariana, 2021).The importance of the leadership role of the school principal in efforts to develop students' literacy culture in increasing interest in reading (Sahyar et al., 2020); (Liem, 2022); (Narut & Supradi, 2019), especially in elementary schools, greatly influences the success of achieving the goals being pursued (Nurhikmayati & Sunendar, 2020); (Wildiawati & Jamaludin, 2023).This effort involves a lot of school resources, both material and non-material, if it is not directed and managed well by the leader, the performance will certainly be unstructured so that performance and results will not be as effective and efficient as expected (Akmaluddin et al., 2020); (Fahri et al., 2022); (Husni & Sari, 2023).
Efforts to increase students' interest in reading through well-structured school literacy activities will have an impact on improving the quality of learning, teachers, and staff, maximizing the use of school resources, and improving relationships with the community (Pujiati et al., 2022); (Elendiana, 2020).To make changes, the school principal is tasked with leading and supporting these changes (Akmaluddin et al., 2020).The principal cannot explain his leadership alone to increase students' interest in reading through school literacy activities, but the principal leader needs his members to be involved in achieving the goals, namely teachers and staff, and even involve the student's parents (Winarsih, 2023); (Harmendi et al., 2021); (Kadarsih et al., 2020).A cooperative relationship is needed between the school principal and the principal its members and external parties to process and implement school plans or policies consistently, so that school goals, especially literacy culture in elementary schools, can be achieved with increasingly better quality (Ideswal et al., 2020); (Supardi & Aulia Anshari, 2022).
The importance of the teacher's role in increasing students' interest in reading through school literacy activities is because teachers are the ones who know the condition of their student's interest in reading in the school environment, therefore school principals should continue to strive to increase the role of teachers in school literacy activities to increase students' interest in reading.that the role of teachers in school literacy activities to increase students' interest in reading includes preparing infrastructure that supports learning and teaching activities, providing tools and relevant literature, and creating emotional and social conditions that are useful in the learning and planning process.more effective learning activities (Winarti et al., 2021); (Pujiati et al., 2022).The problem in the field is that even though every school has tried to implement a school literacy program for its students, there are quite a few schools where implementing the literacy program still seems to be less effective.This means that students are sometimes still lazy about participating in reading activities, even though they are involved, students do not read but only fulfill school orders so as not to be scolded by their teachers and principals.
Another problem in efforts to increase students' interest in reading in elementary schools throughout Kota Bahagia District, South Aceh Regency is that some teachers are still not involved enough in carrying out the literacy program.This can be seen by some teachers who are often late for class because students are considered to have 15 minutes to read in class before starting study time so literacy activities are only carried out by students alone, some students even just play in class while waiting for the teacher to enter.These various phenomena and facts are certainly important for school principals to explain their functions, duties, and responsibilities as the highest leaders in their school.This means that school principals should continue to increase their efforts in maximally involving teachers in school literacy activities so that student's interest in reading in elementary schools throughout Kota Bahagia District can continue to be increased.The role of school principals and teachers in reading literacy activities has been mentioned in several previous studies.
Teachers in the school literacy movement include being involved in a reading program 15 minutes before learning begins, arranging infrastructure and a literacy-rich environment, and creating an environment with nuances of literacy.No that is the only role of the teacher in the development stages that have been implemented, including integrated reading, reading together, and discussing books.

METHODS
This research uses a qualitative approach.According to Moleong (2017:4) qualitative research is procedures in research that produce descriptive data in the form of written or spoken words from the behavior of people who can be observed.Meanwhile, Sugiyono (2013:66) states that qualitative research is an approach that allows us to examine people's experiences in depth and uses a specific set of research methods, such as in-depth interviews.A qualitative approach is a research procedure that produces descriptive data in the form of words or speech from people and observable behavior.Qualitative methods attempt to reveal the various uniquenesses that exist in individuals, groups, communities, and/or organizations in daily life in a comprehensive, detailed, deep, and scientifically accountable manner.
This type of research is descriptive.Descriptive research is a method of examining the status of a group of people, an object, a set of conditions, a system of thought, or a class of events in the present.Descriptive research aims to create systematic, factual, and accurate descriptions, images, or paintings regarding the facts, properties, and relationships between the phenomena being investigated.

Figure: 1. Step Research on Literation Activity
Gunong, state elementary school Jambo Keupok, state elementary school Seuneubok Alur Buloh, state elementary school 1 Alur Dua Mas and state elementary school 2 Alur Dua Mas and state elementary school Seunebok Keranji. the initial survey of these nine primary schools shows that they have already carried out school literacy activities for their students, in between a program said literacy is reading a story or enrichment book for 15 minutes before teaching begins, enriching your reading collection, and choosing good reading books (Observation, 17 -23 November 2023).
The same thing happened among students and high school students in elementary schools in Kota Bahagia District, South Aceh.Based on the results of initial observations, it is known that in Cluster VI, Kota Bahagia District, South Aceh Regency, currently there are 9

Results
As mentioned in the theory section, aspects of the principal's leadership personality include honesty, self-confidence, responsibility, courage to take risks and decisions, a big heart, stable emotions, and role models.Regarding these results, it was found from interviews that the principal's leadership, seen from the personality aspect, in supporting teachers in carrying out school literacy activities was carried out by providing support and facilitating a reading activity program 15 minutes before the lesson started, creating a reading corner in the class.Not only that, the school principal also provides support by motivating through training programs to increase understanding of literacy programs to increase knowledge insight for our students, especially to foster interest in reading among students.
The principal's personality in leading the implementation of school literacy through teachers is carried out by providing support for literacy activities by forming a team and meeting the facilities needed for these literacy activities.Increasing literacy activities is also carried out by the school principal by providing reading sources that students need to increase their insight and knowledge and to increase their interest in reading which is driven directly by the school principal and subject teachers.The literacy activities carried out at the state elementary school Buket Gadeng School are directly led by the school principal by forming a team consisting of subject teachers.The principal's personality in leading literacy activities is implemented with a cooperative attitude and a high desire for the progress of the elementary school he leads, both in the form of material support in the form of providing literacy facilities and immaterial support in the form of psychological and energy support (Pujiati et al., 2022).
The principal's leadership in the field of education cannot be separated from the knowledge aspect, including improving the implementation of literacy programs in schools (Agustina et al., 2023).The knowledge aspect in question is understanding the conditions of educational staff involved in literacy activities (Sari et al., 2021), understanding the conditions and characteristics of students (Husni & Sari, 2023), preparing programs, receiving input (Sari et al., 2023), suggestions and criticism from various parties to improve their ability to support teachers to carry out the literacy program (Mardhatillah et al., 2023), this is as Information from interviews with several informants stated that the principal's knowledge of the literacy movement program, such as the 15 minute reading movement every time he wanted to start class, had a good impact on teachers in implementing the reading program in the classes they taught.The principal's knowledge as part of his leadership is not enough just to provide information to teachers as implementers, but also to provide and create signs that are following implementation standards recommended by the Ministry of Education.
The leadership of the school principal is crucial in improving the implementation of the school literacy program, especially regarding the principal's knowledge of the literacy program.Where the principal as a leader has a responsibility to the entire school community, including teachers, in providing the development of information and knowledge about the school literacy movement.The knowledge of school principals in Gugus VI Kota Bahagia District in leading teachers in implementing the literacy movement has an impact on the maximization of the literacy program process.This can be seen because the principal has good knowledge regarding how to implement reading activities 15 minutes before learning begins, making the principal active in carrying out reading activities.Discussion and socialization from the schools related to the implementation of the School Literacy Movement.
The principal's leadership in supporting the activities of teachers to implement school literacy in Cluster VI Kota Bahagia Subdistrict is the understanding of the vision and mission of Nurmiati, Sari, S. M., & Musdiani. (2024).The Impact of the Principal's Leadership on the Role of Teachers in Implementing School Literacy Activities.Indonesian Journal of Instructional Media and Model, 6(1), 17-25. https://doi.org/10.32585/ijimm.v6i1.5252 the school he leads so that the direction of school literacy activities can be controlled following the vision and mission to be achieved.Understanding the vision and mission in question is developing the school's vision, developing the school's mission, and implementing programs to put the school's vision and mission into action.Regarding this, several statements were found from school principals and teachers in Gugus VI Kota Bahagia District, as in interview information that the principal's understanding of the school's vision and mission had an impact on the implementation of school literacy.This can be seen where every school program, including school literacy activities, is carried out following the school's vision and mission and has even become a permanent activity.The realization of the school's vision and mission based on literacy activities is carried out by forming a literacy team which is given special tasks in all subjects covered by the teachers.
The principal's understanding of the school's vision and mission, and the existence of the principal's leadership have had an impact on the implementation of school literacy because the principal can adjust the school's vision and mission to the importance of implementing the school's literacy movement.The principal's understanding of the school's vision and mission has become the main direction that teachers want to achieve in implementing the school literacy movement in elementary schools in Cluster VI, Kota Bahagia District, South Aceh Regency.This means that the vision and mission of the school that has been proclaimed is the main basis for the goals to be achieved, including increasing students' interest in reading through the school literacy movement.
A decision taken by a school principal certainly has an impact on the running of the education program in the school he leads, therefore the principal should involve all elements of the school in determining a decision, as well as those related to the implementation of the school literacy movement.In this case, the principal makes decisions together with the educational staff at the school, making decisions for the internal interests of the school and making decisions for the external interests of the school to implement the school's literacy activity program, as stated by the principal and teachers in Cluster VI, Kota Bahagia District, that The decision-making ability of the school principal has had an impact on teachers in implementing school literacy in Cluster VI, Kota Bahagia District.This is because every decision taken by the school principal regarding the literacy movement involves teachers so that teachers are focused on achieving the goals and benefits of implementing school literacy movement activities, teachers can understand the procedures for implementing them and can adapt to the school's vision and mission.

Discussion
The possession of the school principal greatly determines the success of implementing school literacy activities, which are carried out by subject teachers in the classroom.This means that the principal should be active in providing education through outreach and training activities to teachers regarding the good implementation of the school literacy movement, during this socialization the principal must have good communication skills in conveying information so that teachers can easily understand the concepts of implementing school literacy movement as conveyed by the headmaster.

CONCLUSION
Literacy provides knowledge that is different from ordinary learning.It is very important to instill literacy from an early age in elementary school students because students are still able to be given audio-visual knowledge.Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the leadership of school principals in Cluster VI, Kota Bahagia District, South Aceh has a significant influence on the implementation of school literacy.School principals who have a positive personality, adequate knowledge, a strong understanding of the vision and mission, the ability to make good decisions, and effective communication skills can support and