Green Leadership and Teachers’ Sustainable Practices: The Mediating Role of Environmental Self Efficacy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67903/ijroms0451Keywords:
Environmental Self-Efficacy, Green Leadership, School Heads, Sustainable Practices, TeachersAbstract
This study examined how school heads’ pro‑environmental supervisory practices, conceptualized as Green Leadership, are associated with teachers’ sustainable practices, with environmental self‑efficacy tested as a mediating mechanism. Although sustainability has become a global educational priority, limited empirical evidence explains the psychological processes through which leadership behaviors translate into ecological practices in basic education, thereby justifying the mediation model. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Transformational Leadership Theory, a quantitative explanatory‑predictive design was employed. Data were collected from 200 teachers across primary, secondary, and senior high schools in Zamboanga City using purposive, non‑probability sampling and a structured five‑point Likert scale questionnaire. The instrument measured leadership practices, self‑efficacy beliefs, and sustainable behaviors, and the data were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS‑SEM) using WarpPLS 8.0. Model evaluation confirmed satisfactory global and local fit, ensuring methodological rigor. Results indicated that Green Leadership was positively associated with teachers’ sustainable practices (β = 0.240, p < 0.001) and environmental self‑efficacy (β = 0.388, p < 0.001). In turn, self‑efficacy exerted the strongest direct effect on sustainable practices (β = 0.610, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that self‑efficacy partially mediated the leadership–practice link (β = 0.237, p < 0.001), underscoring its pivotal role in shaping sustainability outcomes. The structural model explained 53.2% of the variance in sustainable practices, reflecting substantial explanatory power. Given the cross‑sectional, self‑report design, the findings demonstrate statistically significant associations rather than causal effects. The study concludes that leadership alone is insufficient; teachers’ environmental self‑efficacy is essential in translating supervisory practices into meaningful behavioral change. Recommendations include modeling eco‑friendly behaviors, embedding sustainability into supervisory routines, and mentoring strategies that build teacher confidence, while policy makers are urged to integrate sustainability indicators into leadership evaluation and development programs.
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