Learning and Leading: Recreation and Health Education Students' Perspectives on Building Leadership Capacity

Lara L. Lauzon

《International Leisure Review》 3卷1期 (2014/03) Pp. 75-103

https://doi.org/10.6298/ILR.2014.3.4

並列摘要

The purpose of this article is to describe the perspectives of recreation and health education university students who built leadership capacity through a blend of coursework and community recreation leadership experience. The students' perspectives were interpreted through student leadership experience logbooks and reports (N=25), one-minute paper reflections (N=30), and personal interviews (N=3). Guba and Lincoln's (1989) Fourth Generation Evaluation was used as a conceptual framework to guide the inquiry and analyze the data. Students discovered that their leadership experience made leadership theory 'come alive', that their leadership capacity developed over time, and that leadership was a legitimate area of study that proved to be helpful in other areas of their academic career and professional development. Challenges included a lack of self-confidence in leadership skills and abilities, time management, and an inability to shift or change leadership techniques even though the students were aware of other options or possibilities. Four major themes emerged from the data: 1) Learning helps Leading; 2) Communication Skills Make a Difference; 3) Leadership Transforms; and 4) This is Not the End, It is Just the Beginning.

並列關鍵字

Leadership ； leadership capacity ； community leadership ； leisure ； recreation ； higher education ； leadership theory ； experiential learning ； authenticity criteria

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