The teacher is considered as a role model for students. Their teachings convey huge impacts to the personal growth of youngsters. Teachers are expected to demonstrate a positive and credible image to students (Lumpkin, 2008). Every teacher got their own unique teaching style which is shaped by their different personal beliefs and their unique teaching styles would ultimately affect the student’s motivation in acquiring knowledge (Haerens, Aelterman, Vansteenkiste, Soenens, & Van Petegem, 2015). On top of the teaching style, teachers’ leadership is also another important element in providing effective teaching. Teachers play the role of leader in the classroom and they are leading student’s learning (Harvey, Royal, & Stout, 2003). Also, the teacher may influence students through informal meetings, out of a class discussion, social gathering, etc. Therefore, it is proposed that the higher education context is similar to business context and higher education institution can be considered to be a quasi-organization (Pounder, 2008). Leadership theory that is developed in organizational and management context can be integrated into the school settings. Transformational leadership, one of the most effective leadership styles in the business field, can be transformed into teaching style. Transformational teaching is a contemporary teaching approach (Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012).

 Transformational leadership encompasses the manifestation of entrusting others, to outstrip one’s own egocentricity and galvanize them to surpass in the excellence of performance (Bass & Riggio, 2006). There are four aspects of transformational leadership encompassed of idealized influence; inspirational motivation; intellectual stimulation; and individualized consideration. Integrating transformational leadership into teaching is referred as transformational teaching. Transformational teaching proposes three fundamental concepts, which consists of facilitating students’ procurement and master the main concepts, boost the student’s ability of learning and exploration and advocate positive norms and learning culture (Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012). The exercise of leadership in a tertiary educational institution is also known as instructor-leadership (Balwant, 2016).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community (World Health Organization, 2013). Mental health is important to student’s life and mental health problem has a significant impact on all dimensions of students life, individual level, interpersonal level and institutional level (Kitzrow, 2003). For instance, research has shown that student’s psychological conditions are a critical determinant of their academic results (Brackney & Karabenick, 1995). Besides, Friedlander, Reid, Shupak, and Cribbie (2007) investigated that interpersonal relations and its acclimation would notably affect the student’s psychological ability to overcome their academic difficulties. Therefore, it is paramount to investigate how the transformational teaching approach would enhance the student’s mental health.

 In previous research, the concept of transformational leadership is commonly used to analyze the effects on employees’ mental health condition in business context. It has been identified that managers who acquire transformational leadership would bring positive impacts on the followers’ psychological well-being (Arnold, Turner, Barling, Kelloway, & McKee, 2007). However, there is limited research in pedagogical context to scrutinize the relationship between the use of transformational teaching and the well-being of students’ mental health. Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed:

 The use of transformational teaching approach by instructors will be positively associated with student’s mental health. 

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