Jacklyn Bruce

How Today's Undergraduate Students See Themselves as Tomorrow's Socially Responsible Leaders

A new generation of leaders is needed not only to build local partnerships in today’s communities, but to assume all positions of leadership. Undergraduate students within a College of Agricultural Sciences at a large land grant university were given the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale (SLRS) to determine their self-perception of leadership according to the eight SLRS constructs: consciousness of self, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, citizenship and courage through change. Results indicated a strong alignment with constructs such as congruence, consciousness of self and commitment, with slightly less agreement in the other constructs. Two important issues were illustrated. First, today’s undergraduates appear to be much more comfortable with diversity and conflict than once was the norm. Secondly, the citizenship construct brought to light a lack of awareness and desire to contribute to their civic responsibility. Implications include changes in leadership curriculum and implementation of service learning experiences.

Effective Leadership Development for Undergraduates: How Important Is Active Participation in Collegiate Organizations?.

Leaders are needed in all areas of life. A question arises, “Where do leaders come from and how do they develop the skills necessary to be effective?” Colleges and universities have been developing leadership skills since their inception (Astin, 1996). This study examined students in a college of agriculture to determine if students’ perceptions about leadership skills varied based on participation in collegiate organizations and whether a participant held a collegiate officer position. Results indicated 55% were active in collegiate organizations and 23% held an officer position. For the most part student perceptions related to the impact on leadership skill development did not vary between the groups and were “positive” in nature. It was noted that approximately 36% of all responses were

You Are What You Read: Inside Leadership Texts

The purpose of this study was to understand the types of texts currently being used and recommended within the field of leadership education. Data triangulation methods were used to identify academic and popular texts for a content analysis. Themes emerged relating to context, writing style, method, and content.

Understanding the Perceptions of Service Learning with Teen Leaders

This qualitative study was conducted to answer two questions concerning service learning in youth populations: Do teens understand their roles in the process of service learning? How do teens perceive service opportunities within their communities or organizations? The intent was to investigate these issues in order to provide depth to the research on youth voice and perceptions in service learning activities. Focus groups were conducted with teens involved in various organizations. Findings included that teens were able to articulate a strong definition of service learning as well as identify service activities. Most felt they had a voice in planning and implementation and saw adults as key to the evaluation of projects. Some teens felt, however, that adults often have too great a voice in the planning stages. Recommendations include professional development for adults on working with teens and evaluating current programs to make certain that youth voice is present.

Evaluation of Transfer of Training and Skills Learned as State 4-H Council Members

The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate if the environment of the State 4-H Council fosters transfer of training to life after the 4-H program. Purposive sampling identified former members of a State 4-H Council. The research methods included semi-structured and unstructured interviews. Major findings of the study noted that most areas of the council environment encourage the transfer of training, however, some facets of the council environment need improvement to promote training transfer. Recommendations include conducting a needs assessment of all incoming State 4-H Council members, developing an experiential training method, implementing training on working with different personality types, improving communication among the group, and continuing to reward council members for using the skills they gain while on the council.

North Carolina Farm Women: Opportunities for Support and Farm-Related Education

ABSTRACT The stress that farming visits upon male farmers has been acknowledged for decades. Stress- and work-related injuries among nonmigrant farm women is well documented from 1980 through the mid-1990s. A void of literature concerning nonmigrant farm women exists since that time. One possible explanation for this deficit is that United States Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture data only consider the contributions of women on the farm if they are reported as farm operators. From 2002 to 2007, the number of women farm operators in North Carolina (NC) increased by 3%, and currently 13% of the state’s farms are operated by women. These numbers emphasize the importance of understanding the self-perceived needs of women farmers. A qualitative research project was conducted to investigate the social-emotional needs of NC farm women. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 women with whom the NC Agromedicine Institute had previously worked in collaboration on farm health and safety. Key themes from interviews were (1) chameleonic, (2) inseparable connectedness, (3) farm sword, (4) women of a feather, and (5) one size doesn’t fit all. Participants reported multiple roles, difficulty separating from the farm, preferring the farm over any other place, and viewing themselves as misperceived farm professionals. Participants need opportunities to interact with other farm women for support and sharing farm-management techniques. Future study recommendations include (1) inventory existing programs for farm women; (2) further investigate the support and educational needs of farm women; and (3) examine how farm women are perceived by nonfarm individuals.

The Unique Leadership Needs of Minority Student Populations: Crafting a Leadership Identity

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine how college-level minority student leaders make meaning of those leadership experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 students. Major findings noted a strong personal motivation to participate in student leadership positions. Further research on the impact of familial relationships on leadership development is recommended.

4-H Made Me a Leader: A College-Level Alumni Perspective of Leadership Life Skill Development

The purposes of this qualitative study were to determine the contribution of 4-H experiences to leadership life skill development of college-level 4-H alumni and to determine the effect of those skills on collegiate alumni ’s desire to continue involvement in 4-H. The research methods included semi-structured interviews. Major findings of the study noted that the interviewees ’ 4-H experiences positively contributed to leadership life skill development, closely following the pattern of the four essential elements which serve as the foundation of 4-H programming. Also identified was a strong desire of college-level 4-H alumni to continue their participation with 4-H. Recommendations include specifically targeting this generation of alumni for greater utilization because of their strong desire to stay connected.

Not Just the Farm Wife: Perceptions and Needs of North Carolina Farm Women

This has the potential to increase the repetitiveness of work and decrease the variety and ‘job rotation’ that naturally arises from work on a family farm. This exploratory pilot study aimed to investigate musculoskeletal symptoms and work tasks in modern, intensive pig barns. This study involved two phases: 1) questionnaire on workers’ MSD symptoms and perceptions of work tasks; and 2) video analysis of posture and lifting exposures during common pork production tasks, including breeding, piglet processing, counting and sorting piglets, vaccinating, and moving dead pigs. Ninety-two percent of workers reported symptoms in at least one body part; 57% reported resulting interruption of work activities. Moving dead pigs resulted in unacceptably high spinal forces during 6 of 18 observations and on average exceeded predicted strength capability for 6 of 7 body parts. Frequency of trunk bending >45 degrees was 8.5/min while sorting piglets; processing piglets showed hand grip frequencies in excess of 27/min. These results suggest a need for interventions to limit bending, lifting, and repetitive gripping. Improvements may include strategies like developing a device or method for catching and lifting piglets to avoid bending, and adapting a piglet processing cart that can limit gripping. There is also substantial opportunity for enhancing working conditions by evaluating the ‘natural experiment’ of work methods undergoing change right now, such as the introduction of needleless injectors. The impact on productivity and farm economics needs to be forefront in any proposed intervention, as pork production involves narrow financial margins.

Teaching GLEE-dership

In a world where more and more emphasis is being put on the importance of teaching leadership skills to work ready undergraduate students, instructors are often met with the challenge of finding current, engaging, real world examples to use in their classrooms. In the case of this application, the instructors propose the use of the characters and video clips from current Fox Network television show Glee to aid in the instruction of Blake & Mouton’s Leadership Grid during a larger discussion of leadership styles. The Leadership Issue Students new to the study of leadership often find themselves confronted with the task of taking abstract concepts and applying those abstractions to real world settings. While someone with a wealth of experience may be able to easily reach into their proverbial bag and find connections, students with limited “real world” situations upon which to draw may find that task much harder. Finding a universal situation to which many students can relate for today’s varied undergraduate student population is an equally difficult task for leadership education instructors. In the case of this classroom idea, we go back to an almost universal experience for undergraduate leadership students, high school, in order to help them make connections to a leadership theory discussed in an introductory leadership course. Throughout the years, research has shown that if students can connect class material with examples from their lives or the world in which they live, they are more apt to understand, remember, and engage in learning the concept (Centellas, 2010; Bach, 2011; Torock, 2008; Berk, 2009). One method of connecting class material with students’ lives more recently has been the integration of popular culture, or “pop culture,” into the classroom. Through the use of radio, television, music and much more, teachers have taken the world outside of the classroom and brought it into the class to teach concepts from problem solving (Bach, 2010) to social studies (Hall, 2011/2012). Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 10.12806/V15/I1/i1 Volume 15 Issue 1 Idea 172 Using various pop culture mediums, such as television, in the classroom “can create authentic, meaningful and transformative teaching encounters with students of all levels” (Bach, 2011, p. 144). Berk (2009) claims another benefit to using these pop culture catalysts, such as video clips, in the classroom is that they may have both a cognitive and emotional effects on students because it engages both hemispheres of the brain. Students are able to connect with the content being discussed through video clips because “auditory/verbal and visual/pictorial stimuli increase memory, comprehension, understanding, and deeper learning” (p. 5). Theoretical Frame and Review of Related Scholarship Why pop culture in the classroom? To better understand the background of those decisions, three areas must be reviewed: popular culture as pedagogy, TV shows in the classrooms, and TV shows utilized in leadership education class settings. Popular Culture as Pedagogy. Guy (2007) describes popular culture as “knowledge and values embedded in the lived experiences of people in their strivings for individual and collective fulfillment and meaning” (p. 16). Popular culture, or “pop culture,” takes on many forms including TV shows, radio, movies, newspapers, art, and even the internet. These outlets “develop and disseminate messages about what the society sees as important, valuable, ideal or desirable” (p. 16). Guy (2007) utilized pop culture while teaching a multicultural-issues class to discuss race, class and gender issues. One assignment was to select a TV series to watch and students would then report on the ways race, class and gender were represented. Another assignment was to review clips from the movie Crash. Afterward students discussed the scene and its portrayal of race, gender, and class. During these assignments, Guy expressed the importance of not imposing their analysis of the excerpts on the students. “Students have different interpretations of the pop-culture examples that I use,” stated Guy (p. 21). The researcher found that students were able to analyze and critique pop culture in order to gain a better understanding of race, gender, and class issues. They also found that “educators of adults can develop powerful educational strategies by employing a critical stance toward popular culture in the activities they design and deliver” (p. 15). TV Shows in the Classroom. With instant access to movie and television show clips through websites like YouTube, movieclips.com, and network websites available at professors’ fingertips, the idea of incorporating videos into a classroom is not new. The key, however, is to find the types of clips that resonate with students in the here and now. According to Berk (2009), there are twelve ways educators could incorporate video usage into their teachings: 1. Provide content and information 2. Illustrate a concept or principle 3. Present alternative viewpoints 4. Apply content to real-world applications 5. Serve as a stimulus for learning activities 6. Provide a good or bad application to critique 7. Exaggerate a particular point 8. Snap students to attention 9. Insert into collaborative learning exercises 10. Motivate and inspire Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 10.12806/V15/I1/i1 Volume 15 Issue 1 Idea 173 11. Provide a commercial break 12. Signal a return from a class break Beavers (2002) utilized the West Wing to illustrate governmental issues. Bach (2008) discussed using the TV show Amazing Race to relate students to the concept of problem-based learning. Another researcher, Miguel Centellas (2010) used the TV show American Idol in his class to discuss Karl Marx and Alexis de Tocqueville with students. Centellas went on to say that using TV shows in the classroom “not only help make otherwise dry material more fun for undergraduates, but they also help students hone critical thinking skills, integrate classroom lessons into the real world...and build holistic understandings of learning and exploration” (p. 562). He also discussed some disadvantages by stating that some pop culture references may not be understood by international students, or a professor may have a hard time finding a relevant scene that relates to the class content. By utilizing American Idol, Centellas (2010) gave students the assignment of writing a paper using passages from Marx and Tocqueville to apply to the show. TV Shows in Leadership Education. Not only have TV shows been used in various college classes, they have also been used in leadership education classes. Torock (2008) developed a method of using the TV show Grey’s Anatomy to discuss situational leadership. The researcher found that the show was a perfect fit for the subject because “throughout the series different characters illustrate the directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating styles of leadership in casual, work, life-threatening, and high intensity situations” (p. 73). Torock (2008) used discussion after the viewing of the TV clips to stimulate additional learning. She found that video clips help students relate the leadership lesson to real life, especially if they are unsure of how to connect the concept to their personal lives. Exposition of the Idea “The best teachers don’t give you the answers. They just point the way and let you make your own choices – your own mistakes. That way, you get all the glory, and you deserve it” (“Will Schuester”, Glee, ep. 1.12). Will Schuester is just one of the many characters on the TV show Glee. According to FOX (2014), Glee is a musical comedy based on a high school Glee Club in small town Lima, Ohio at William McKinley High School. The show follows students who are seen as outcasts by many, but find a place within the glee club that becomes like family. The students within the show deal with many real-life situations that typical high school students could face (crushes, school problems, sports drama, graduation, etc.). The Glee high school setting, while certainly not the “norm”, still has threads that would be familiar to most of our undergraduate students. Throughout the seasons and the situations they face, Glee characters develop and provide examples of both good and poor leadership qualities. From that base, we build our lessons for Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid. Blake and Mouton (1964) created a Managerial Grid that displayed five types of leadership: Impoverished, Country Club, Produce or Perish (Dictatorial), Team, and Middle-ofthe-road. The grid is based on two axes: “human interaction” and “the job itself” (Gregoire, Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 10.12806/V15/I1/i1 Volume 15 Issue 1 Idea 174 Fada, and Arendt, 2004, p. 395). The dimensions proposed by Blake and Mouton (1964) represent the struggle leaders face in deciding the appropriate amount of time necessary to designate to people and production in an organization. According to Pheng and Lee (1997), the concern for the job, or production, “would include results, bottom line or profits,” while the concern for people may include “getting results based on trust, respect, obedience, understanding, or support” (p. 395). The goal of this classroom innovation is to use video clips from the TV show Glee to demonstrate leadership styles from Blake & Mouton’s Managerial Grid (1964). Students would be shown clips of Glee characters in various situations, sometimes taking on formal leadership roles, other times not, and then asked to assign each character to a quadrant of the Grid and think about why they chose those assignations. This will be done individually first, and then each student will be asked to “pair share” by turning to a student close to them and comparing answers and justifications. Full class discussion would include reasoning for placement of characters, situational influence of leadership style, and whether or not a character switches styles