The National Colleges of Education in Sri Lanka play a crucial role in preparing future teachers. Yet, the goal of producing quality teachers remains unmet as limited resources, outdated practices, and systemic inefficiencies continue to undermine their effectiveness. To address this gap, it examined how transformational leadership impacts job performance, with job satisfaction as a mediator. This exploratory study addresses the gap by examining these dynamics among 226 teacher educators, using an online questionnaire administered through convenience sampling. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was applied, with higher-order constructs modelled formatively and first-order dimensions reflectively, and mediation assessed via bootstrapping. This study is grounded in five key theories explaining motivation and workplace behaviour. Four hypotheses were tested, with two receiving empirical support. Transformational leadership had a modest direct impact on job performance but no significant effect on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction influenced performance but did not mediate the relationship between leadership and performance. The study recommends enhancing professional development, supportive environments, and leadership training to improve satisfaction and performance. Future research should examine alternative leadership styles and explore other potential mediators. A key limitation is that the study was confined to the National Colleges of Education in Sri Lanka.
