How much do past experiences play a role into a person's capability to lead?

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this chance for thanking my research facilitator, friends & family for support they provided & their belief in me as well as guidance they provided without which I would have never been able to do this research.

DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess whether participation in a community college student leader program had an effect on the leadership behaviours of students based on five (5) practices measured by a student leadership practices inventory. By assessing these leadership behaviours, the community college was able to determine the effectiveness of the program and ways to improve the program's curriculum. This study addressed the following: 1) whether students who participated in a student leader program in a community college showed significant growth in leadership behaviours; 2) whether the growth in leadership behaviours of students who participated in a student leader program in a community college were significantly different from each other in regard to gender; 3) whether the growth in leadership behaviours of students who participated in a student leader program in a community college were significantly different from each other in regard to age. The student Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) developed by Kouzes and Posner (2002) was used as the main instrument in this study. The student Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is a questionnaire with thirty (30) behavioural statements six (6) for each of The Five Practices. The population of this study consisted of 62 student leaders who were participants in a student leader program at a community college. A pre LPI was given to 62 student leaders in the beginning of the school term. A post LPI was given to 62 student leaders at the end of the school term. Thirteen of the original student leaders dropped out of the program and were replaced by new student leaders. Thus, the total number of useable inventories for data input in this study was 49; this yielded a 79% return rate. This study supports the research that students who were involved in a leadership program gained leadership behaviours. The results of this study also showed no significant difference in the student leaders' scores in the LPI in relation to the student's age group. There were no significant differences between the male and female student leaders in regard to the five leadership practices with the exception of the leadership practice challenging the Process. In this study, the male student leaders scored higher, 24.79, than the female student leaders, 22.37, in Challenging the Process. The focus group in this study highlighted the leadership behaviours the student leaders gained as ...