Teaching behaviour’s mediating role in transformational leadership and science interest in Klang Valley private schools / Conie Toh

• Main Author: Toh, Conie
• Format: Thesis
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: L Education (General); LC Special aspects of education
• Online Access: http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/15573/2/Conie_Toh.pdf; http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/15573/1/Conie_Toh.pdf; http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/15573/

This research aims to enrich the existing body of knowledge on educational leadership, science education, and the intricate interactions between teachers and students within private school environments. The study's primary objective is to explore how teachers' transformational leadership practices influence students' interest in science in private schools in the Klang Valley. This influence is examined both directly and indirectly through the mediation of teachers' teaching behaviours. Employing a non-experimental quantitative approach, data were gathered via surveys distributed through Google Forms. The participants were students from selected private schools in Klang Valley, who received the surveys through email and WhatsApp application. A total of 250 completed Google Form questionnaires responses were collected and analysed. The results indicated that students perceived their teachers as exhibiting high levels of transformational leadership and effective teaching behaviours. Despite this, students rated their interest in science as moderate. Analysis using the Pearson product-moment correlation showed significant positive correlations between teachers' transformational leadership, students' interest in science, and teachers' teaching behaviours. Multiple regression analysis identified the intellectual stimulation dimension as the most significant predictor of students' interest in science. Additionally, the dimensions of clarity and rapport were found to be significant predictors of students' interest in science, with clarity having a moderate impact and rapport a larger effect. Further analysis revealed that the dimensions of individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation significantly predicted teachers' teaching behaviours. Both inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation had moderate effects, whereas individualized consideration had a more substantial impact on teachers’ teaching behaviours. A mediation analysis using the PROCESS Macro for SPSS demonstrated that the relationship between teachers' transformational leadership practices and students' interest in science is partially mediated by teachers' teaching behaviours. This finding highlights the crucial role of effective teaching behaviours in enhancing students' interest in science. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) was then applied to evaluate the model's fit with the collected data. The adjusted structural model aligned well with the data from private schools in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the impact of teachers' transformational leadership and teaching behaviours on fostering students' interest in science within private schools in Klang Valley, Malaysia. These findings have significant implications for educational policymakers, school administrators, and teachers, emphasizing the importance of integrating transformational leadership practices and effective teaching behaviours to enhance science education. By adopting these practices, educators can create a supportive learning environment that nurtures students' interest in science and subsequently promotes their academic achievement.