Ethical Leadership as a Psychological Mechanism Linking Teacher Self-Efficacy and Classroom Management to Online Professional Development Engagement

Abstract

This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying engagement in online professional development among university teachers by investigating the roles of classroom management, teacher self-efficacy, and ethical leadership. Although teacher competencies are known to influence professional learning, limited research has explored how leadership processes translate individual capabilities into effective engagement in digital development programs. Drawing on self-efficacy and social learning perspectives, this study proposes ethical leadership as a mediating mechanism linking teacher competencies to online professional development outcomes. Data were collected from 370 academic staff members in Chinese higher education institutions using stratified random sampling. Structural equation modelling revealed that classroom management and teacher self-efficacy significantly and positively predicted ethical leadership (β = 0.484; β = 0.341) and online development program effectiveness (β = 0.433; β = 0.384). Ethical leadership also showed a strong positive effect on online development outcomes (β = 0.376) and significantly mediated the relationships between teacher competencies and program effectiveness. The model explained 53% of the variance in online development outcomes and 29% in ethical leadership, indicating substantial explanatory power. These findings highlight the critical psychological role of self-efficacy beliefs, instructional competence, and leadership context in promoting engagement in professional learning within digital environments. The study contributes to educational and organizational psychology by clarifying how individual capabilities and leadership dynamics jointly shape online professional development.