Enhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership

Abstract This study examines the interplay between humble teacher leadership and student creative process engagement, grounded in Social Exchange Theory and Self-Determination Theory. Additionally, it analyzes the sequential mediating roles of student trust and psychological empowerment, as well as...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiyue Zhang, Jingming Chi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-01-01
Series:BMC Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02382-z
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832594339563307008
author Xiyue Zhang
Jingming Chi
author_facet Xiyue Zhang
Jingming Chi
author_sort Xiyue Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This study examines the interplay between humble teacher leadership and student creative process engagement, grounded in Social Exchange Theory and Self-Determination Theory. Additionally, it analyzes the sequential mediating roles of student trust and psychological empowerment, as well as the moderating effect of proactive personality. Data were collected at three time points from 384 participants across Chinese universities and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS 4.0 software. The findings reveal that humble teacher leadership significantly enhances students’ participation in creative processes. Student trust and psychological empowerment serve as sequential mediators in the relationship between humble leadership and creative engagement. Moreover, the presence of a proactive personality notably strengthens the positive influence of humble teacher leadership on students’ creative process engagement. By exploring the psychological states and individual differences, this research elucidates the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions between humble teacher leadership and students’ creative engagement, providing theoretical foundations and practical guidelines for implementing humble leadership in educational settings.
format Article
id doaj-art-653575adcc704ff9a8a17a0abfb6c1a1
institution Kabale University
issn 2050-7283
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Psychology
spelling doaj-art-653575adcc704ff9a8a17a0abfb6c1a12025-01-19T12:43:41ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-01-0113111610.1186/s40359-025-02382-zEnhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadershipXiyue Zhang0Jingming Chi1Graduate School of Education, Dalian University of TechnologySchool of Public Administration and Policy, Dalian University of TechnologyAbstract This study examines the interplay between humble teacher leadership and student creative process engagement, grounded in Social Exchange Theory and Self-Determination Theory. Additionally, it analyzes the sequential mediating roles of student trust and psychological empowerment, as well as the moderating effect of proactive personality. Data were collected at three time points from 384 participants across Chinese universities and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS 4.0 software. The findings reveal that humble teacher leadership significantly enhances students’ participation in creative processes. Student trust and psychological empowerment serve as sequential mediators in the relationship between humble leadership and creative engagement. Moreover, the presence of a proactive personality notably strengthens the positive influence of humble teacher leadership on students’ creative process engagement. By exploring the psychological states and individual differences, this research elucidates the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions between humble teacher leadership and students’ creative engagement, providing theoretical foundations and practical guidelines for implementing humble leadership in educational settings.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02382-zHumble teacher leadershipCreative process engagementTrustPsychological empowermentProactive personality
spellingShingle Xiyue Zhang
Jingming Chi
Enhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership
BMC Psychology
Humble teacher leadership
Creative process engagement
Trust
Psychological empowerment
Proactive personality
title Enhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership
title_full Enhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership
title_fullStr Enhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership
title_short Enhancing creative process engagement in university students: the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership
title_sort enhancing creative process engagement in university students the mediating role of trust and empowerment and the moderating effect of proactive personality in humble teacher leadership
topic Humble teacher leadership
Creative process engagement
Trust
Psychological empowerment
Proactive personality
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02382-z
work_keys_str_mv AT xiyuezhang enhancingcreativeprocessengagementinuniversitystudentsthemediatingroleoftrustandempowermentandthemoderatingeffectofproactivepersonalityinhumbleteacherleadership
AT jingmingchi enhancingcreativeprocessengagementinuniversitystudentsthemediatingroleoftrustandempowermentandthemoderatingeffectofproactivepersonalityinhumbleteacherleadership