Exploring self-leadership strategies and the successful transition of STEM students to higher education in Malaysia: Academic anxiety as a bridge

The transition from secondary school to higher education is pivotal in shaping students' academic and career trajectories. In Malaysia, declining interest in higher education, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, poses a challenge to developing a skilled workforce for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0). Factors such as low confidence, lack of motivation, and limited awareness contribute to this trend. Despite increasing concern, few researchers have explored how psychological and self-leadership strategies can support the transition to higher education, particularly within Malaysia's under-researched matriculation system, which plays a critical role in preparing STEM students for university-level studies. In this study, we investigated the role of self-leadership strategies, including behavior-focused strategies (BFS), natural reward strategies (NRS), and constructive thought pattern strategies (CTS), in facilitating STEM students' transition to higher education. Grounded in Self-regulation Theory, Intrinsic Motivation Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Cognitive Appraisal Theory, and Schlossberg's Transition Theory, we examined their impact on academic performance, with academic anxiety as a mediating factor. A survey of 436 Malaysian STEM students from the 2023/2024 matriculation program was analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 4. Our findings indicated that BFS, NRS, and CTS positively influence academic performance, with BFS having the strongest effect. Academic anxiety mediates these relationships, underscoring BFS's role in reducing anxiety. The study emphasizes the importance of fostering self-leadership strategies and mitigating anxiety to support STEM students' transitions, offering actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and institutions to strengthen Malaysia's STEM talent pipeline.