Findings of the Study to Examine the Effect of College Students’ Leadership Practices on Their Non-Cognitive Learning Outcome

Higher Education    Students

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TITLE: Findings of the Study to Examine the Effect of College Students’ Leadership Practices on Their Non-Cognitive Learning Outcome
 
RESEARCHER: Alaba Apesin
Department of Social Sciences
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Unpublished research paper: May 2012

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a significant positive relationship between the five practices of exemplary leadership exhibited by student association executives (in different type of student organizations) and their non-cognitive learning outcomes.

METHODOLOGY
Study subjects were selected through non-probabilistic purposive sampling techniques based on their leadership roles and experiences. The 62 undergraduate students who participated in this survey held various formal leadership positions in over twelve organizations in a public Northeastern Historical Black College. Their positions are in one or more of the eight types of student organizations: sport recreation; cultural; academic, professional or honor group; fraternities or sororities; service; religious; student government; and others. An equal number of male and female (31 respectively) students leaders completed the Student Leadership Practices Inventory. The academic level status was: 50% seniors, 31% juniors, 18% sophomores and 2% freshman. About 94% of these students have held leadership position for one or more years and their ages ranged between 18 and 24 with 68% older than 20 years. Approximately 77% were African Americans; 6% were Caucasians; 6%were Mixed Ethnicity; 2% were Hispanics; and 8% were from other countries. Internal reliability for the five leadership practices exceeded .645 (Cronbach alpha).

KEY FINDINGS
The most frequently reported leadership practice was Enable, followed by Encourage, Inspire, Model, and then Challenge.