Introduction: academic performance in vocational education is influenced by multiple psychological and institutional factors. Among these, Transformational Leadership (TL) from educators and Student Self-Resilience (SSR) are recognized as critical, yet their combined influence remains insufficiently examined within China’s vocational education context. Objective: this study aims to examine the direct effect of teacher transformational leadership on students’ academic performance (SAP) and to assess whether student self-resilience mediates this relationship. Method: a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 511 students from vocational colleges in Chongqing, China. Expectancy theory served as the theoretical framework. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4 to implement structural equation modeling (SEM) via partial least squares (PLS), allowing for assessment of path coefficients, mediation effects, explained variance (R²), and effect sizes (f²). Results: transformational leadership had a significant positive direct effect on both student academic performance and student self-resilience. Additionally, self-resilience was found to significantly and positively influence academic performance. Mediation analysis revealed that SSR partially mediated the relationship between TL and SAP, indicating that SSR is an essential mechanism through which TL impacts academic outcomes. Conclusions: the findings support the integration of transformational leadership and student self-resilience development in vocational education. They extend expectancy theory by highlighting SSR as a key personal resource that enhances the effectiveness of leadership on academic outcomes. Practical implications suggest vocational institutions should invest in leadership development for teachers and implement resilience-building programs for students to sustain high academic performance. © 2025; Los autores.
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