Self-Leadership and Self-Actualization among Graduate Students: The Mediating Role of Metacognitive Skills in Jordanian Higher Education

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships between self-leadership, metacognitive skills, and self-actualization among graduate students in Jordanian universities, with a particular focus on the mediating role of metacognition. A cross-sectional, correlational design was employed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed model. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of 360 graduate students enrolled in social science disciplines. The results revealed that self-leadership significantly predicts both metacognitive skills (β = 0.62, p < .001) and self-actualization (β = 0.34, p < .001), while metacognitive skills also exert a significant positive effect on self-actualization (β = 0.46, p < .001). Mediation analysis using bootstrapping indicated that metacognitive skills partially mediate the relationship between self-leadership and self-actualization (indirect effect β = 0.29, 95% CI [0.21, 0.38]). The structural model demonstrated good fit and substantial explanatory power. These findings contribute to the literature by integrating self-leadership and metacognition within a unified framework of self-regulated learning and personal development. The study highlights the importance of metacognitive processes as a mechanism through which self-regulatory strategies translate into higher-order outcomes such as self-actualization. Practical implications suggest that higher education institutions should incorporate structured metacognitive training alongside self-leadership development to enhance graduate students’ academic and personal growth. Future research should employ longitudinal and experimental designs to further validate the proposed relationships across diverse cultural contexts.