The purpose of this study was to identify the leadership skills students believe they learned in co-curricular activities, to determine how those skills are used in the classroom, and to discover whether those skills enhance the academic experience for students. The results of this study provide information which can aid student affairs practitioners who are seeking ways to help students make the connection between the co-curricular and curricular leadership experiences. This study used a combination of qualitative research techniques including document analysis and group interviews. The qualitative nature of this study was guided by the need to allow the subjects explore their own perceptions, beliefs, observations, and understanding about their behavior and learning. Thirty-one student leaders from programs and organizations sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) were interviewed over a period of one semester. Two cadres of three groups participated in four rounds each A round consisted of an e-journal, sent and responded to individually by the participants, followed by a group interview. E-journals and interviews were analyzed using a conceptually clustered matrix. This process produced a series of matrices correlating the various perspectives of the participants with either leadership practices, research questions, demographic data, or all three. The results of the study reveal that training programs for these student leaders tended to focus on three primary leadership practices and that the student leaders exhibited these same practices in their curricular experience. Reflection both during and after the study had a profound impact on the students' perceptions of whether or not they perceived their own behavior as leadership either in or out of the classroom. Additional results showed that the physical design of a classroom could have an impact on how leadership practices occur during class. It was also shown that while all the participants in this study were in DSA sponsored programs, there was no central leadership theory or comprehensive approach to leadership development to guide Division programs. Findings from this study provide evidence of the value of co-curricular leadership training and its impact on curricular experience. The study also adds to the body of research on student leadership, research on the impact of co-curricular activities on students, and the relationship between curricular and co-curricular learning, particularly as it relates to group assignments and the leadership of those projects. / Ph. D.

Thesis advisor: Ana M. Martinez-Aleman / This qualitative study employed a Critical Race Theory (CRT) lens to gather a deeper understanding the racialized experiences of students of color (SOC) at a PWI, and how these experiences impact the way in which they understand, conceptualize, and/or actualize student leadership on campus. This study presents the lived experiences of twenty-five SOC. Participants shared their experiences and perceptions through individual semi-structured interviews, with an opportunity to also participate in a focus group. Findings revealed that the ways in which participants view how race is socially constructed on campus and their encounters with normalized racism (such as their experiences with microaggressions, the lack of diversity, the negative racial climate, and the racial segregation on campus) seemed to profoundly impact participants lived experiences and perceptions. Participants in this study exhibited a strong pull towards SOC groups (both for participation and leadership expression), citing a desire to seek involvement with individuals of similar/racial and ethnic background, a responsibility to give back to their racial/ethnic group, and seeking a group that affirmed their sense of identity as some of the top reasons they joined SOC groups. However, participants’ perceptions of predominately White groups on campus, encounters with normalized racism, and the way they view student groups are valued (or undervalued) on campus seems to suggest that the campus racial climate may play a powerful role in students’ decision making around co-curricular involvement and leadership expression. The findings strongly intimate that the college campus remains a microcosm of larger society in that it continues to perpetuate normalized racism as a product of inherent (and biased structures), influencing students’ leadership perceptions and expression. This study recommends that institutions assess the racial landscape on campus in terms of perceived and actualized student leadership, be willing to engage in experimentation on different practices that will foster a greater sense of inclusivity within student leadership, and take active steps towards creating permanent inclusive change. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

The program guide for the 2009 Student Leadership Conference: Synergy, held at UBC on January 10, 2009.

Research suggests that participation in fine arts programs may enhance the development of leadership skills in student populations; however, few studies have examined the unique association between fine arts students and the development of their leadership self-efficacy skills. Lambert's theory of constructive leadership formed the theoretical framework for this quantitative study. The 3 research questions asked whether there is a significant relationship between (a) the number of programs and self-reported leadership self-efficacy, (b) the type of programs and the self-reported leadership self-efficacy, and (c) the quality of programs and the self-reported leadership self-efficacy. The sample included 103 high school students who participated in fine arts programs while attending a high school in Mississippi. Data were collected employing a quantitative questionnaire survey based on the Civic Action and the Life Skills Scales. The study used correlational research design and employed hierarchical multiple linear regression to address the research questions. The results indicated that participation in fine arts programs built participants' competencies specific to leadership. Results also showed that the perceived quality of programs was significantly associated with increased self-reported leadership self-efficacy. These results suggest that participation in quality fine arts programs can positively affect students' leadership development. Effective student leadership may facilitate positive social change starting on the school level. Student leaders with appropriate training and guidance may be able to use their position to help their schools and organizations to function at a greater capacity and evoke positive social change through collaboration from teachers, administrators, and other students.

The purpose of this study is to investigate student leadership development. This study will investigate if there are any differences in the estimate of gains from attending college between students who participated in a Leadership Community and a sample of non-participants. In this study, estimate of gains is defined as students' progress toward educational goals, as reflected in the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). The estimate of gains represents a measure of growth in college. The participants in this study were recipients of a first-year $1000 merit-based scholarship. Recipients of this scholarship earned a 3.75 grade point average and were ranked in the top 10 percent of his or her high school graduating class. One hundred and seventy-two students received these scholarships in the 1998-1999 academic year. Seventy-nine of these students chose to live in a Leadership Community their first-year in college. Ninety-three of these students chose to live else where on campus. Specifically, the study is designed to examine the following hypotheses: Null Hypothesis: There will be no difference in the mean scores of the CSEQ scales (a) Estimate of gains; (b) Student acquaintances; (c) Experiences with faculty; (d) Clubs and organizations; and (e) Course learning, for LC students as compared to NLC students. Research Hypothesis: The LC students will have higher mean scores on the CSEQ scales (a) Estimate of gains; (b) Student acquaintances; (c) Experiences with faculty; (d) Clubs and organizations; and (e) Course learning, than the NLC students. This quantitative study uses the College Student Experiences Questionnaire. The participants of this study will be in their fourth semester of college. The researcher will collect data from sections of the CSEQ that correspond with the hypotheses. This study isolates the variables that are associated with student leadership development to explore student leadership development within a specific population of students. The researcher will analyze the data using descriptive statistics, as the study measures the characteristics of a population at one point in time. The researcher will determine if there are differences between scores from students who participated in the leadership community and those who did not. The researcher anticipates this study will benefit educators in evaluating the leadership development efforts on their own campuses. / Master of Arts

The relationships among students' reports of learning outcomes based on leadership experiences in various types of student organizations and various roles within organizations were investigated. Relationships between demographic variables (i.e., ethnicity, gender, age, and type of housing) and type of organization, role within an organization, and learning outcomes, were also examined. A new instrument, the Student Leadership Learning Outcomes Assessment (SLLOA), was created to measure student generated learning outcomes; it has good internal consistency and validity. The SLLOA was completed by 328 student leaders at a private southeastern university. SLLOA scores indicated student leaders in cultural and service groups reported learning more than student leaders in sports/athletic groups. Vice Presidents and Presidents reported learning more from the leadership experience than Treasurers. Female student leaders reported learning more than male. Relationships were found between ethnicity of student leaders and type of organization and between type of housing (i.e., on campus, off campus without parents/parental figures, off campus with parents/parental figures) and type of organization. There was no relationship between type of organization and leaders' gender and age, or between the role held and leaders' gender, ethnicity, and type of housing. The results revealed no relationship between ethnicity and SLLOA scores.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived leadership orientations of leaders and general members affiliated with the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University, assess the validity and reliability for the Competing Values Instrument for the cadet population, and identify differences in leadership orientations of leaders and members of a student organization. The survey instrument used was an adaptation of Quinn's 1988 Competing Values Instrument. The two-part 32-item instrument was theoretically based on Quinn and Rohrbaugh's (1981, 1983) Competing Values Framework of managerial-leadership. The instrument divided the items into eight groups of leadership role orientations: Innovator, Broker, Producer, Director, Coordinator, Monitor, Facilitator, and Mentor. The instrument was administered to 520 cadets enrolled in 28 randomly selected Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and School of Military Science (SOMS) courses at Texas A&M University. Responses were compared using various background information and environmental factors. Responses were also examined to establish validity and reliability for the instrument when used with college student members of this student organization. Factor analysis procedures resulted in slight alteration of items within specific factors. Results supported the idea that perceived leadership orientations are associated with academic classification, Corps classification, gender, age, leadership experience prior to college, involvement in college leadership experiences other than the Corps of Cadets, contract status, level of leadership position in the student organization, and military service affiliation. The contributions the student organization made to the development of leadership were assessed, and a better understanding of leaders' and members' perceptions of their leadership tendencies and practices was obtained. Survey instrument data indicated the Corps of Cadets was effective in enhancing students' perceptions of their leadership orientations. Recognizable differences were found to have existed in relationship to the complexity and nature of the leadership position. The higher the level of leadership position held by members of the Corps of Cadets, the more frequent those members' practice of leadership and management behaviors became. Military cadets were also more likely to practice leadership and management behaviors more frequently than non-military cadets. The study provided evidence that the Corps of Cadets has some effect on leadership development.

Thesis advisor: Heather Rowan-Kenyon / Paid employment is one of the most common extracurricular activities among full-time undergraduates, and an array of studies has attempted to measure its impact. Methodological concerns with the extant literature, however, make it difficult to draw reliable conclusions. Furthermore, the research on working college students has little to say about relationships between employment and leadership development, a key student learning outcome. This study addressed these gaps in two ways, using a national sample of 77,489 students from the 2015 Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership. First, it employed quasi-experimental methods and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to investigate relationships between work variables (i.e., working status, work location, and hours worked) and both capacity and self-efficacy for leadership. Work location for students employed on-campus was disaggregated into 14 functional departments to allow for more nuanced analysis. Second, this study used text mining methods to examine the language that participants used to define leadership, which enabled a rich comparison between students’ conceptualizations and contemporary leadership theory. Results from HLM analysis suggested that working for pay is associated with lower self-reported leadership capacity, as defined by the social change model of leadership development, and that this relationship varies by workplace location and across institutional characteristics. The association between working status and self-efficacy for leadership was found to be practically non-significant, and hours worked per week were unrelated to either outcome. Results from text mining analysis suggested that most students conceptualize leadership using language that resonates with the industrial paradigm of leadership theory— leadership resides in a person with authority, who enacts specific behaviors and directs a group toward a goal. Disaggregated findings suggested that students who work off-campus consider leadership differently, using language consonant with contemporary, post-industrial scholarship—leadership is a dynamic, relational, non-coercive process that results in personal growth and positive change. In sum, the findings both echo and challenge aspects of existing research on leadership and working college students. Future research should explore off-campus work environments in greater detail, while practitioners and scholars who supervise students should aim to infuse post-industrial conceptualizations into on-campus work environments. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University / The purpose of this study is to attempt to determine the effect of different types of leadership for freshman orientation groups at Boston University School of Education

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