Validation of the Empowerment Model for Educational System Managers to Enhance Social Security in Tourist Areas

Abstract

The present study aimed to validate an empowerment model for educational system managers to enhance social security in tourist areas. This study was correlational in nature, utilizing structural equation modeling. The study population consisted of all educational system managers, including school principals and education administrators in Mazandaran province, who were active during the 2024-2025 academic year. To estimate the sample size, Cochran's formula was used, and after accounting for a 20% dropout rate, the final sample size of 320 participants was randomly selected. For evaluating the construct validity of the proposed model, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using AMOS 24 software. To examine the paradigm model of the study, structural equation modeling based on Partial Least Squares (PLS-3) was employed, and the direct effect regression coefficients for all model pathways were reported. According to the results, the standardized factor loadings for each primary and secondary category of the empowerment factors for educational managers aimed at enhancing social security in tourist areas were greater than 0.40 and were confirmed. The convergent and discriminant validity of the scales in the proposed model were also satisfactory. Additionally, the overall model fit was confirmed, and both the structural and measurement models demonstrated adequate quality in explaining the research variables. Therefore, the use of the model derived from this study for empowering educational managers to enhance social security in tourist areas is an effective method with high validity.