Achieving graduate competency in high-stakes vocational higher education is a critical global challenge, extending beyond technical skills to include non-negotiable professional attributes. This study investigates safety performance as a key educational outcome within government-operated pilot schools in Indonesia. Addressing a theoretical and empirical gap, this research examines the dual function of safety leadership as both an intervening (mediating) and moderating variable. It offers a nuanced model to enhance student success in demanding educational environments.
A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 102 student pilots using a total population sampling (census) technique across two higher education institutions managed by the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation. The conceptual model, featuring direct, mediating, and moderating pathways, was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).
The models demonstrated adequate validity and reliability. Results revealed that pedagogical strategies focusing on safety promotion and student safety intelligence are significant direct predictors of safety performance outcomes. Crucially, safety leadership was found to have a mixed role; it significantly mediated the relationship between safety promotion and performance. However, it did not mediate the link between safety intelligence and performance, nor did it moderate any of the examined relationships.
This study makes three primary contributions. First (Theoretical), it extends educational management literature by testing a complex model of leadership influence on a non-traditional educational outcome. Second (Empirical/Contextual), it provides rare evidence from the under-researched, highly structured context of state-run Indonesian pilot schools, enriching the global perspective on vocational higher education. Third (Practical), it offers actionable insights for educators and academic administrators on structuring programs to effectively cultivate safety-consciousness as a core graduate competency.
