Affiliations:
1Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia
2Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia
3Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia
4Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Malaysia
The aim of this study is to analyze how leadership styles and self-directed learning affect academic performance in the digital era. A quantitative correlational design was applied, with data collected from 301 final-year students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar through a Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS. The results indicate that self-directed learning has the strongest positive influence on academic achievement, while transformational leadership also shows a significant effect by creating an inspiring learning environment. Task-oriented leadership contributes positively but to a lesser extent, whereas relationship-oriented leadership has a slight negative impact, suggesting the need for adjustments in highly competitive academic contexts. The study highlights the central role of self-directed learning, supported by transformational leadership, in improving academic performance and recommends that universities enhance leadership training and provide stronger support for independent learning through digital resources and personal development initiatives.
Academic performance, Leadership styles, Self-directed learning, Transformational leadership, Digital era
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.10.013
Nanda, A. R., Yahya, M., Syamsuddin, A., Manindar, M., Arham, A. F., Norizan, N. S., & Idrus, S. (2025). Academic performance in the digital era: The role of leadership style transformation and self-directed learning. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(10), 108–117. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.10.013