The Influence of Leadership Self-efficacy on College Students' Leadership Practice: The Mediating Role of Motivation to Lead

Abstract

Although research on the outcomes of leadership practices has increased, the research area on the antecedents of leadership has been underexplored. This study investigated the associations between leadership self-efficacy, motivation to lead and leadership practices that influence the leadership behaviours of higher education students. In the study in which the cross-sectional research design, the sample comprised 545 undergraduates from Turkey. The results showed that increasing student leadership self-efficacy beliefs directly affected leadership practices. Also, in research found the motivation to lead to having an important partially mediated role in the relationship between student self-efficacy beliefs and leadership practices. This study contributes to the existing body of international knowledge on school leadership research by concluding that the effect of leadership self-efficacy and students' motivation to lead on student practices. As a result, in study propose that educational activities aimed at enhancing undergraduate students' leadership self-efficacy and motivation to lead include elements that concentrate on developing students' leadership self-efficacy and motivation to lead. Implications for policy, practice and research are discussed.