Examining the influence of leadership styles, work concerns, and cultural norms on teacher effectiveness in digital teaching: A SEM and regression analysis in Chinese private universities

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of leadership styles, work concerns, and cultural norms on teacher effectiveness in digital teaching environments within the context of young teachers who are employed in Shandong's private universities in China. This research was driven by the need to better understand how organizational and cultural factors predict teacher effectiveness in the digital teaching environment. A quantitative research approach was adopted, gathering responses from 416 participants in four private universities, and then the data were processed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple regression techniques. The results show that transactional leadership has the strongest impact on teacher effectiveness, particularly in enhancing the dimensions including instructional planning and classroom management. This study found that transformational leadership, work concerns, and cultural norms also significantly influence teacher effectiveness to different extents. The SEM analysis confirmed that the proposed model fits the data well. Further, the multiple regression analysis revealed that the intellectual stimulation dimension of transformational leadership and the contingent reward dimension of transactional leadership were particularly influential in predicting teacher effectiveness. These findings suggest that leadership in private universities should remain adaptable, with an emphasis on creating supportive environments where teachers feel valued and professionally engaged. Based on these findings, it is recommended that educational administrators provide targeted leadership development programs and establish policies that prioritize teacher support, especially as private universities continue to expand digital teaching practices.