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1. The Impact of Selected Factors on the Participation Status of University Students in a Leadership Training Program

   Tackie, David N; Findlay, Henry J; Jimmeh, Joe B; Gogo-Kumi, N (June 2024, International journal of economics commerce and management)

   Christopher, M; Sharma, P (Ed.)

   Different factors may impact participation in leadership programs for university students. However, not many studies have been conducted on this issue. Therefore, this study analyzed the impact of selected factors on the participation status of university students in a leadership training program. Regarding study participants, there were more female participants than male participants. Also, more of the recruited students did not participate in the training compared to those who participated, and more of the participants were in the immediate incentive group compared to the delayed incentive group. Further, regarding the receipt of incentives, a very high proportion of the recruited students received their incentives. In terms of class classification of participants, there were more sophomores in the trainee groups. The regression results revealed that for model 1, only the incentive classification had a statistically significant effect on student participation, and for model 2, gender, incentive classification, and receipt of incentives had statistically significant effects on student participation. It may be that gender, incentive classification, and receipt of incentives are important factors in university students’ leadership training. However, incentive classification may be the paramount factor. 

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2. The Relationships between Socioeconomic Factors and Reflective Thinking of College Students in Leadership Training Using Critical Thinking Development Perspectives

   https://doi.org/10.7176/JESD/15-5-03  

   Tackie, David N; Findlay, Henry J; Jimmeh, Joe B; Gogo-Kumi, N (April 2024, Journal of economics and sustainable development)

   Decker, Alexander (Ed.)

   The study assessed the relationships between socioeconomic factors and reflective thinking of college students. The data were collected from a purposive sample of college students in a leadership training program and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The results show that the proportions of strongly disagreed or disagreed responses were generally higher than the proportions of the strongly agreed or agreed responses at the low level of the Critical Thinking Development Model (CTDM). However, the proportions of strongly agreed or agreed responses were generally higher than the proportions of the strongly disagreed or disagreed responses at the middle and high levels of the CTDM. The correlations reveal that, overall, there were more positive than negative relationships between the selected socioeconomic factors and reflective thinking. The results further revealed that there were two positive and significant relationships (coefficients); specifically, the ones between “sometimes try to recognize the need to practice reflecting on issues” and the intent to hold a college leadership position, and “sometimes have good habits reflecting on issues” and gender. It may be that the intent to hold a college leadership position and gender matter in reflective thinking. 

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3. Evolution of STEM Leadership Self Efficacy Within an NSF S-STEM Program

   DeRuntz, B.; Henson, H.; Withee, T.; Hood, O. (July 2021, Zone 1 Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education)

   An engineering leadership development program (LDP) at a major midwestern university has received NSF S STEM grant support for the past 10 years and has achieved higher and faster time to graduation rate for engineering transfer students in a peer comparison study ( DeRuntz et.al 2019) ( DeRuntz, et. al 2017) (Palmer, et. al. 2016) ( Kowalchuk , et. al 2013). Through the award of a Track 2 S STEM three years ago, the LDP has now expanded into the STEM majors at the university and has made an important discovery regarding the evolution of Leadership Knowledge among some of the STEM leaders. The participants in the LDP program have shown statistically significant changes on Leadership Self Efficacy Survey ( Bobbio , Manganelli , 2009) and the Motivation to Lead Survey (Chan, Drasgow, 2001) when compared to their peers. We noticed an apparent regression in the Leadership Knowledge data scores. However, upon further examination there appeared to be a response shift bias in these results ( Rohs 1999). In other words, participants rated themselves higher on the pre test and then lower on the post test; even though they had made significant gains as measured in the other program data collected by the external evaluator. This conclusion is further confirmed by interactions and observations recorded by the program Co PIs, coordinator, coaches, and senior leadership. 

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4. Assessing Impact of the Leadership Development Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic

   DeRuntz, B.D.; Henson, H; Withee, T. (July 2022, ASEE annual conference exposition proceedings)

   The efficacy of leadership training on undergraduate engineering and technology students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was examined. A leadership development program (LDP) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) emphasized active involvement and inter-personal relationship among participants to build a community of STEM leaders. The LDP recruited academically talented and economically disadvantaged STEM majors from partner community colleges and trained them as leaders. The directors framed the LPD within Social Interdependence Theory to promote and enable students to cooperatively learn to lead themselves, build leadership skills, and participate in leadership teams. The COVID-19 pandemic imposed extra challenges on implementing this model when teaching and learning switched to an online modality. Program organizers followed the program tenets and “Challenged the Process” to find innovative ways to maintain connections among and with students. Working together, students learned to apply their leadership training by organizing and completing service projects. Additionally, students practiced leadership skills within registered student organizations. Through dedication by students and coaches, the program exceeded expectations through the pandemic. The LDP continued with 100% graduation and 100% retention rates. Students in the LDP continued to show large, statistically significant gains in Leadership Self-efficacy, Motivation to Lead, and Grit compared to peers. This model of leadership development conceptually framed within the Social Interdependence Theory was effective. The LDP at SIUC is an exemplary program and could be a model for engineering leadership programs to follow. 

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5. Understanding the Perceived Impact of Engineers’ Leadership Experiences in College

   Schell, William J; Hughes, Bryce E; Tallman, Brett (June 2018, ASEE annual conference & exposition)

   In order to lead the social process required to solve society’s grandest challenges and ensure that the capabilities of an expanded engineering workforce are successfully harnessed, new engineers must be more than just technical experts—they must also be technical leaders. Greater numbers of engineering educators are recognizing this need and establishing engineering leadership certificates and minors through centers at universities throughout the country. While the implementation of these offerings is a step forward, most programs tend to focus on leadership as a set of skills or experiences bolted onto a traditional engineering education with limited formal evidence of the impact these experiences have on student development. The purpose of this study is to test the effect of experiences engineering students have in leadership roles on their perceived gains in leadership skills, using a national dataset. The framework guiding this study is a model for engineering leadership identity constructed from Lave and Wenger’s communities of practice model and Komives et al.’s model for leadership identity development (LID) which recognizes that the engineering formation process is, at its core, an identity development process. Engineering leadership is theorized to develop from peripheral participation in engineering communities of practice in ways that promote students’ leadership development. Specifically, undertaking leadership roles in curricular and co-curricular engineering activities develops students’ sense of engineering leadership identity, which results in their recognition of gains in different leadership skills. The data for this study come from the 2015 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), overseen by the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University. The NSSE is administered to a random sample of first- and fourth-year students, and focuses on curricular and co-curricular student engagement. In 2015, NSSE included a pilot module to assess leadership experiences at 21 participating institutions. The overall sample includes 2607 students who held a leadership role, among whom are 90 engineering students. The dependent variables for this study are a set of eight items prompting students to indicate the extent to which participation in a leadership role contributed to development of different leadership skills. This study employs multiple regression to test the relationships among leadership related experiences and eight leadership skill outcomes for engineering students. Significant results across the eight regression models paint a complex portrait regarding factors that affect gains in leadership skills for engineering students. For example, receiving formal leadership training is a significant positive predictor of only three of the leadership outcomes explored in this work: thinking critically and analytically, working effectively with others, and continuing leadership after college. These results can be utilized by educators engaged in Engineering Leadership education to tailor their program experiences and better achieve the desired educational outcomes. 

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