The impact of teacher servant leadership on students' academic achievement and satisfaction of Chinese international postgraduate students in Malaysia

IntroductionThis study examines the relationship between teacher servant leadership, academic achievement and student satisfaction among Chinese international postgraduate students in Malaysia.MethodologyDrawing on social cognitive theory and servant leadership theory, a quantitative cross-sectional design was employed using data collected from 150 postgraduate students at a private Malaysian university.ResultsSpearman correlation, linear regression, and quantile regression analyses were applied to assess the strength and stability of relationships. The findings reveal a significant positive association between servant leadership and academic achievement (r = 0.465, p < 0.001), with servant leadership explaining 23.7% of the variance. A stronger positive association was observed between servant leadership and student satisfaction (r = 0.771, p < 0.001), accounting for 63.5% of the variance. Quantile regression confirmed the robustness of these relationships across median levels of the dependent variables. Multiple regression results indicate that servant leadership is the only significant predictor, while demographic variables show no meaningful effects.ImplicationsThe study contributes to the literature by extending servant leadership theory to a cross-cultural higher education context and highlights its relevance for enhancing international students' academic experiences. Practical implications are discussed for higher education institutions seeking to promote inclusive and supportive learning environments aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education.