Self-leadership on high education students' quality of life and life satisfaction : the moderating role of emotional and spiritual interlligence / Haji Zul Fakhari bin Muksin

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Abstract
The transition of a student from adolescents to adulthood and entry into higher education institutions is characterized by emotional, psychological, and physical problems. The students' quality of life and life satisfaction is affected by the stressors that arise because of the transition. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed-method study was to determine the impact of self-leadership on quality of life (QoL) and life satisfaction, modifying the emotional and spiritual intelligence of students enrolled in higher learning institutions in Brunei. The bottom-up spill over theoretical model guided the study. Data
on self-leadership, quality of life, life satisfaction (n = 395) was collected during the
quantitative phase and analysed using regression analysis at a 0.05 significance level and structural equation model (SEM) on observed and latent variables. The data collection tools that were utilized in the study include the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire (RSLQ), Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and a Self-Prepared Interview Guide. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was applied to perform descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative phase data (n =
32) included students' perception of the effect of emotional and spiritual intelligence on self-leadership, life satisfaction, and quality of life. Content/thematic analysis was performed using NVivo software. In phase one, it was identified that self-leadership had a significant influence on the students' quality of life and life satisfaction in higher education institutions. Notably, self-leadership had a larger variation in the student's quality of life as opposed to life satisfaction. The themes identified in the second phase were self-awareness, self-regulation, self-acceptance, help-seeking, holistic approaches, and achieving control. It was identified that the students possessed emotional and spiritual intelligence, which can be used to explain the positive relationship between self-leadership and the other two dependent variables of QoL and life satisfaction. The qualitative results supported the quantitative findings because it was identified that students applied varying emotional and spiritual intelligence approaches explaining the positive relationship of how having self-leadership promotes QoL and life satisfaction.
The findings support that improving students' self-leadership in higher learning
institutions can improve their QoL and life satisfaction. Self-leadership can enhance higher education students' overall wellbeing. The results contribute to the existing body of literature by supporting that self-leadership, moderated by emotional and spiritual intelligence is essential in improving higher education students' overall well-being.
Applying a mixed-methods approach supported in determining the impact of self-leadership on QoL and life-satisfaction, while also gaining an in-depth understanding on the influence of emotional and spiritual intelligence.

Dissertation (Doctor of Philosophy) - Universiti Teknologi Brunei (2042)

includes references pages 209-246