Managerial Competence and Lecturer Engagement as Drivers of Student Life Skills: The Role of Learning Motivation

Introduction: The widening gap between graduate preparedness and labor market expectations has prompted higher education institutions to transform their educational practices. Strengthening students’ life skills has become a strategic response to address employability challenges. In this context, institutional leadership and lecturer engagement are considered pivotal in shaping students’ learning experiences. This study investigates how managerial competence and lecturer roles contribute to students’ life skills through the lens of learning motivation. Objectives: This study aims to examine the effect of the managerial competence of the study program head and the role of lecturers on students’ life skills, with learning motivation as a mediating variable. It seeks to identify direct and indirect pathways through which leadership and pedagogical engagement influence the development of transferable skills among undergraduate students. Methods: A quantitative survey method was applied, involving 284 undergraduate students enrolled in a teacher education program in Indonesia. Participants were selected through random sampling. Data collection employed structured questionnaires, and the analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The model tested relationships among managerial competence, lecturer role, learning motivation, and students’ life skills. Results: The findings indicated that the managerial competence of the study program head significantly influenced the effectiveness of lecturers’ roles. These roles, in turn, had a substantial effect on students’ learning motivation and life skills. Learning motivation was found to partially mediate the relationship between lecturer role and life skills, but not between managerial competence and life skills. The lecturer’s role emerged as a critical mediator in facilitating student skill development through motivational mechanisms. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of educational leadership and teaching roles in promoting students’ life skills. Enhancing institutional competence and lecturer engagement fosters motivation-driven environments conducive to skill formation. The results suggest that universities should adopt integrated leadership and pedagogical strategies to bridge the gap between academic preparation and labor market demands. Future research should explore the impact of institutional policies, peer collaboration, and digital ecosystems in sustaining life skill enhancement.