Influence of Directors’ Transformational Leadership on Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Job Performance in Cambodian High Schools

Abstract

Background
Transformational leadership positively influences teachers’ self-efficacy and job performance by inspiring and empowering teachers through key leadership behaviors like idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration (Adesti et al., 2023). These leadership qualities enhance teachers’ confidence in their instructional strategies, classroom management, and ability to engage students (Lin et al., 2022). As a result, teachers’ self-efficacy acts as a mediator between transformational leadership and job performance, fostering improved teaching outcomes and overall effectiveness in the classroom (Boberg & Bourgeois, 2016; Gkolia et al., 2018).

Materials and Methods

The current study employs a correlational design (Hair et al., 2021), and the sample was collected through a questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. 639 high school teachers were selected to participate in the study by using multiple-stage sampling techniques, including clustering and many stages of simple random sampling. The data were analysed in many stages, including normal distribution tests, Pearson's correlations between variables, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Eigenvalue, parallel analysis, structural equation modelling (SEM), and bootstrap. The data analysis tools were SPSS, JASP, and JAMOVI.

Results

Figure 1 is here. However, it is not supported. Thus, find it in the PDF file.

Figure 1. Influences of Directors’ Transformational Leadership on Other Variables

The results highlight the significant direct effects of directors’ transformational leadership dimensions on teachers’ self-efficacy and job performance. Idealized influence attitude positively predicts efficacy for instructional strategy and student engagement, while intellectual stimulation strongly predicts efficacy for classroom management. Teachers’ self-efficacy acts as a mediator between directors’ transformational leadership and job performance, with efficacy for student engagement emerging as an effective moderator between idealized influence and job performance outcomes. These results emphasize the pivotal role of directors’ transformational leadership and self-efficacy in enhancing teachers’ contextual and task performance.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The research underscores the crucial impact of directors’ transformational leadership on improving teachers’ self-efficacy and work performance. Leadership attributes, including idealized influence and intellectual stimulation, were significant predictors of teachers’ efficacy in instructional practices and classroom management. Self-efficacy, especially regarding student participation, functioned as both a mediator and a moderator, highlighting the significance of leadership in enhancing educational results. School directors are advised to enhance their transformational leadership competencies to improve teachers’ performance and efficacy.

References

Adesti, S. P. P. M., Herachwati, N., Nadia, F. N. D., & Muzakki, M. (2023). The investigation of the role of transformational leadership and self-efficacy on job performance of employees: Empirical study. Fokus Ekonomi: Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi, 18(2), 192-201. https://doi.org/10.34152/fe.18.2.192-201

Boberg, J. E., & Bourgeois, S. J. (2016). The effects of integrated transformational leadership on achievement. Journal of Educational Administration, 54(3), 357-374. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-07-2014-0086

Gkolia, A., Koustelios, A., & Belias, D. (2018). Exploring the association between transformational leadership and teachers’ self-efficacy in the Greek education system: A multilevel SEM model. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 21(2), 176-196. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2015.1094143

Hair, J. F., Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7

Lin, W., Yin, H., & Liu, Z. (2022). The roles of transformational leadership and growth mindset in teacher professional development: The mediation of teacher self-efficacy. Sustainability, 14(11), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116489

Link to the original publication: https://bmcproc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12919-025-00325-5/figures/17