INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TOWARDS BLENDED LEARNING: EFFECTS ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING SATISFACTION

Abstract

Teacher instructional leadership constitutes a critical management function in tertiary education, particularly within hybrid learning environments that require effective coordination of instructional modalities. This study explores how perceived teacher instructional leadership influences university students’ satisfaction with hybrid learning, with student engagement serving as a key mediating factor. Based on a survey of 696 undergraduate students at local colleges and universities in Guangxi, China, using a quantitative approach and employing a stratified random sampling design, structural equation modeling revealed that perceived teacher instructional leadership has a significant influence on both student engagement and hybrid learning satisfaction. Additionally, student engagement positively impacts hybrid learning satisfaction, and it partially mediates the relationship between perceived teacher instructional leadership and hybrid learning satisfaction. This study aims to investigate the impact of teacher instructional leadership based on soft management approaches on student engagement and satisfaction. The results contribute to the literature on educational leadership and management by focusing on leadership approaches in the hybrid learning contexts of local colleges and universities in China.