The influences of teachers’ intercultural competence on teaching performance and international student engagement: The mediating role of teachers’ transformational leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the formational mechanism of how teacher intercultural competence affects teaching performance and international student engagement. A quantitative survey was designed to collect and analyze data from 400 international undergraduate students in China and Thailand. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) as a technical approach was employed to analyze the relationships of the variables between conceptual constructions. The results from the PLS-SEM found that the direct contributions of teacher intercultural competence to teaching performance and international student engagement are insignificant. However, the direct influence of intercultural competence on transformational leadership is positive and significant. Moreover, the findings indicate that teachers’ transformational leadership plays a positive and significant role in mediating the effects of intercultural competence on teaching performance and international student engagement. The findings have practical implications for educational policymakers or university administrators in the field of teacher education and professional development. To improve the outcomes of higher education, teacher intercultural competence is suggested as a crucial part of teacher education and professional development. More inclusive and effective academic settings can be promoted by the development of teachers’ intercultural competence.