Leadership Development: The Effects of Service-Learning Programs on Adult Learners’ Success

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TITLE Leadership Development: The Effects of Service-Learning Programs on Adult Learners’ Success
 
RESEARCHER Richenel M. Martin Jr.
School of Leadership
University of Charleston West Virginia
Unpublished doctoral dissertation: April 2019

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to examine the leadership development of students participating in two unique leadership programs: a curricular one, consisting of the Nursing Program and a co-curricular one, Hospitality Management & Tourism/Culinary Arts.

METHODOLOGY
The target sample were adult learners, aged 25 years and older, who participated in leadership development for at least 2 years or more and enrolled for at least two years are more and non-participants who have been enrolled for at least 2 years. The sample included 123 participants from the two unique programs and non- participant group at the two-year institution located in the Midwest. One hundred percent completed the pre-test and 94 percent the post-test. The typical respondent was Caucasian (77%) and female (63%). They completed the Leadership Practices Inventory.

KEY FINDINGS
Enable was the leadership practice most used, followed by Encourage and Model, then Challenge, and then Inspire at both the pre and post-test administrations of the LPI. Inspire was the only leadership practice that showed a significant increase following the class, although the other four did show an increase in frequency. No significant differences were found between participants in the two groups/programs and the control group.

The author notes:

The researcher posits that the change in (ISV) scores were not a statistical fluke and may be due to participants not feeling comfortable with the notion of actually inspiring a shared vision if they were in a position of leadership. As the intervention progressed through time, participants felt more confident that they can be a leader and inspire that vision in their subordinates (p. 112).