Student Leadership and Student Achievement: Evidence from PISA 2022

Despite the increasing emphasis on fostering student leadership skills within global educational systems, empirical evidence regarding the direct association between these competencies and standardized academic achievement remains limited. This study investigates the relationship between student leadership and student achievement using data from the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), encompassing 19,394 15-year-old students across diverse national contexts. A standardized student leadership scale was developed through exploratory factor analysis of student questionnaire data, and its validity was confirmed through structural equation modelling, demonstrating a strong fit between the proposed model and the data. Results revealed a significant positive association between student leadership and student performance (β = 0.14, p < 0.001), although the effect size was modest. This suggests that while student leadership contributes to academic achievement, its impact is likely interwoven with other factors influencing student learning. These findings underscore the importance of considering leadership development as part of a holistic approach to improving educational outcomes, prompting further research into mediating and moderating factors, as well as the development of contextually appropriate interventions.