Modeling the Role of University Administrators’ Instructional Leadership in Students’ Academic Achievement: The Mediating Roles of Teachers’ Teaching Self-Efficacy and Students’ Academic Engagement
Keywords:
Instructional Leadership, Teaching Self-Efficacy, Academic Engagement, Academic Achievement, Structural Equation ModelingAbstract
This study aimed to model the role of university administrators’ instructional leadership in students’ academic achievement through the mediating roles of faculty members’ teaching self-efficacy and students’ academic engagement. This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design based on structural equation modeling. The study population consisted of students and faculty members at Khatam University during the 2025–2026 academic year, and the final analyses were conducted using matched data from 320 students and their corresponding instructors in selected courses. Data were collected using an instructional leadership measure, a teaching self-efficacy scale, an academic engagement scale, and students’ grade point averages. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The significance of indirect effects was examined using bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples. Instructional leadership had a significant positive effect on teaching self-efficacy (β = 0.56, p < 0.001) and directly predicted academic engagement (β = 0.31, p < 0.001). Teaching self-efficacy had significant positive effects on academic engagement (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) and academic achievement (β = 0.21, p = 0.001). Academic engagement exerted the strongest direct effect on academic achievement (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), while the direct effect of instructional leadership on academic achievement was also significant (β = 0.17, p = 0.011). Significant indirect effects were observed through teaching self-efficacy (β = 0.118), academic engagement (β = 0.133), and the sequential pathway of teaching self-efficacy and academic engagement (β = 0.084). The model explained 51% of the variance in academic achievement. Instructional leadership can enhance students’ academic achievement both directly and indirectly by strengthening faculty members’ teaching self-efficacy and increasing students’ academic engagement. Accordingly, improving instructional leadership, supporting instructors’ teaching capabilities, and promoting active student engagement may serve as effective strategies for improving educational outcomes in higher education.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Reyhaneh Seyfi (Author); Fatemeh Madanipour (Corresponding author); Vahid Manzari Tavakoli (Author)
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