Transformational Leadership of Lecturers: Exploring The Role of Self-Efficacy and Proactive Student Engagement at Universities in The Mekong Delta Region, Vietnam

This study examines the relationship between transformational leadership of lecturers and student engagement at universities in the Mekong Delta region, with a focus on the mediating role of self-efficacy. Based on Bandura’s social cognitive theory, data were collected from 2,615 students across five universities through a cross-sectional quantitative research approach. The results showed that the leadership leadership has a positive influence on the participation of students and their own ability. The student's own capacity acts as the operator, strengthening the relationship between the lecturer's leadership and the participation of students. The structural equation model (SEM) is used to confirm theoretical relationships. The limitations related to cultural characteristics and representative characteristics of the sample are proposed for future research. These findings provide practical insights for educational managers and educational experts, recommend strengthening lecturer leadership measures and integrating self-competency assessments into policies education to improve student participation and academic results.