Linking teacher leadership to student achievement through the mediating role of self-efficacy: A meta-analytic SEM approach

This study examines the direct and indirect effects of teacher leadership on student achievement, with a particular focus on the mediating role of teacher self-efficacy in this relationship. Using Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modelling, the study tests these relationships in a hypothesised model with data from 39 studies comprising a total sample of 22,124 participants. Results indicated that teacher leadership affected student achievement both directly and indirectly through teacher self-efficacy. Analyses also showed that school type could be a significant moderator in these relationships, indicating that the effect of teacher leadership on teacher self-efficacy and student achievement could be larger in a secondary school context. The study suggests significant implications for both research and practice. By providing empirical evidence that teacher leadership can significantly enhance teachers’ instructional efficacy and student achievement, the findings underscore the importance of creating school environments that encourage and support teacher leadership capacity. However, the literature needs further studies that investigate the multiple relationships among these variables in broader contexts, given that most studies have focused on binary relationships in relatively narrow contexts.