Jonathan J. Velez

Leadership Characteristics of Outstanding Seniors in a Land-Grant University College of Agriculture

Leadership is a concept that has always been a major component of Colleges of Agriculture. Undergraduate student have numerous opportunities to develop their leadership skills and abilities though formal coursework, collegiate organizations, and personal leadership activities. This ethnographic qualitative research study investigated the leadership characteristics of outstanding seniors in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University. The study utilized a semi-structured interview methodology. The objectives of the study were to 1) Determine the leadership development experiences of the outstanding seniors prior to their enrolling in college, 2) Identify the leadership development activities in which they participated during their undergraduate studies, 3) Identify their self-perceived strengths, weaknesses, and leadership influences, 4) Identify the personal and professional leadership goals. Results indicate that the outstanding seniors had significant leadership

Linking Experiences and Outcomes within a Postsecondary Leadership Development Program

This qualitative study explored the leadership development outcomes associated with specific experiences in a one-year, intensive leadership development program at a large northwest research university. Students highlighted three programmatic experiences for their effectiveness: (a) faculty mentoring, (b) participation in a weekly seminar, and (c) experiential learning through sustained community involvement. As students discussed these experiences, they identified building relationships, gaining a deeper understanding of leadership, exposure to new experiences, and increased communication skills as outcomes associated with having a mentor. When discussing the interactive seminars, students articulated collective growth, increased self-awareness, improved reflection skills, and a deeper understanding of leadership as outcomes of seminar participation. For the experiential learning component, students identified outcomes associated with being pushed out of their comfort zones, improving networking skills, awareness of the value of community involvement, and relationship skill building. Conclusions and recommendations are discussed for the application of these experiences in leadership education.

Interdisciplinary Learning Opportunities in Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources, and Science: The Role of the Teacher

Providing interdisciplinary learning opportunities in agriculture, food, natural resources (AFNR), and science is critically important. School-based agricultural education offers a valuable platform to connect AFNR and science; however, interdisciplinary teaching requires willing and able teachers. The current study considered the intentions of school-based agriculture teachers to teach science within AFNR curriculum. Using the theory of planned behavior, attitude toward teaching science, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and perceived science knowledge were considered as independent variables to teaching science within AFNR curriculum. The explanatory model was analyzed using structural equation modeling. In total, school-based agriculture teachers intended to teach science in 39.91% of AFNR curriculum. Only perceived science knowledge was a statistically significant, negative predictor of intended science teaching. Findings pinpoint the need for additional research into the unexpected relationship between perceived science knowledge and science teaching intentions. The need and nature of potential explorations, along with specific recommendations for practice, are discussed.

National Participation in School-Based Agricultural Education: Considering Ethnicity, Sex, and Income.

An empirical understanding of the value school-based agricultural education (SBAE) offers has been limited due to lack of widespread, longitudinal studies addressing the impacts of student participation in SBAE. Grounded in the theory of involvement, data from a nation-wide, longitudinal study were analyzed to explore ethnicity and income among students with varying levels of vocational club and SBAE involvement. Results indicated Black males had high involvement in non-SBAE vocational clubs but low involvement in SBAE-vocational clubs. Black and Hispanic females enrolled in SBAE at rates close to the percentages in the high school population; however, Black and Hispanic females rarely attained officer roles in SBAE-vocational clubs. White females, on the other hand, dominated officer roles within SBAE vocational clubs. Results also indicate females enrolled in SBAE who served as officers earned an additional

Informing Leadership Education by Connecting Curricular Experiences and Leadership Outcomes.

10,507 annually compared to non-SBAE, female officers. However, regarding the impact of involvement in SBAE on males who serve as officers, results indicate decreased income compared to their nonSBAE peers. Findings are discussed in relation to the theory of involvement, with an emphasis on recommendations for further research.

A Philosophical Review of Science and Society within Agricultural Education.

Linking specific learning experiences to leadership development has the potential to enhance leadership education. In this study, we sought to link student growth in 13 leadership areas to specific learning experiences within a leadership development program. We measured development within the 13 areas by comparing the perceived needs of students before and after engagement in the program. Evidence of connections between leadership development and specific learning experiences emerged as program facilitators documented the leadership areas addressed within the learning experiences utilized in this program. Evidence indicated students experienced the strongest growth in understanding leadership, commitment to serving, enhancing communication, ethical behavior, and valuing diversity. These areas of growth were linked to specific learning experiences, including program seminars, book readings, working with a mentor, and participation in a community organization. While this research is only an initial step in definitively linking specific learning experiences with leadership development, the results provide leadership educators with important considerations to enhance their practice. Additionally, this research provides a viable method for linking learning experiences and leadership skill development that, if replicated, could support the continued, positive impact of leadership education. Introduction & Conceptual Framework Leadership skills are critical for success in today’s professional culture (APLU, 2009; Day, 2001; McCall, 1998; NACE, 2014; Vicere & Fulmer, 1998). Therefore, many organizations are actively seeking employees with a developed leadership skill set (APLU, 2009). The higher education experience has been identified as an optimal time to develop these coveted leadership skills (Astin & Astin, 2000). Additionally, the leadership research agenda recommended identifying effective methods for developing leadership at the post-secondary level as a research priority (Andenoro et al., 2013). Therefore, the goal of our research was to identify effective methods for leadership development by linking measurable leadership skill growth and specific curricular approaches used in a year long, post-secondary leadership development program. Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 10.12806/V16/I1/R6 JAN 2017 RESEARCH 82 In order to identify effective methods for developing leadership skills, researchers must connect curricular experiences and leadership skill development. Aligning experiences with leadership skills has been a gap identified by a variety of researchers in the leadership education literature (Allen & Hartman, 2009; Day, 2001; Goertzen, 2009; Jenkins, 2012; Morgan, King, & Rudd, 2013). In order to begin to bridge the gap between pedagogy and skill development, we must build our understanding of both concepts. A number of researchers have studied pedagogical techniques used in leadership classrooms (Albert & Vadla, 2009; Allen & Hartman, 2009; Conger, 1992; Day, 2001; Eich, 2008; Jenkins, 2012; Zimmerman-Oster & Burkhardt, 1999). Synthesis of this literature reveals a number of consistent strategies used to engage students in leadership development; we will describe four of these consistent strategies. The first, experiential learning (Allen & Hartman, 2009; Day, 2001; Eich, 2008), refers to the process of engaging in an activity, reflecting on your engagement, developing new ideas, and implementing those new ideas (Kolb, 1984). The second pedagogical strategy, the use of self-assessments (Allen & Hartman, 2009; Day, 2001; Zimmerman-Oster & Burkhardt, 2009), seeks to develop self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses among leadership learners (Allen & Hartman, 2009). Placing students with mentors has also been identified as a commonly used strategy in leadership development programs (Allen & Hartman, 2009; Day, 2001; Zimmerman-Oster & Burkhardt, 2009). Being mentored offers students an opportunity to gather feedback from someone who often has more leadership experience. The final consistent strategy, reflection (Allen & Hartman, 2009; Jenkins, 2012; Zimmerman-Oster & Burkhardt, 2009), offers students an opportunity to review their experiences and learn from their own involvement (Allen & Hartman, 2009). The pedagogical approaches used in leadership education have been categorized into four areas: (a) personal growth, (b) conceptual understanding, (c) feedback, and (d) skill building (Conger, 1992). Personal growth, as an approach to leadership development, was built on the idea that leaders are those individuals who “are deeply in touch with their personal dreams and talents and who will act to fulfill them” (Conger, 1992, pp. 45-46). Furthermore, it can be asserted that, in order to commit to the development and progress of others, you must first commit to your own personal development and progress. Conger identified the second approach to leadership development, conceptual understanding, as the intake of new information pertaining to leadership; including but not limited to, learning new leadership theories and models. Feedback, the third approach identified by Conger, is the process in which an individual learns their strengths and weaknesses as a leader. It can be reasoned that a leader aware of his or her own strengths and weakness will be more confident in their role as a leader and more prepared to continue their development as a leader. The fourth approach to leadership development is skill building, a necessary component to any complete leadership development program. Skill building refers to the process in which individuals develop specific skills to be used in different leadership contexts (Conger, 1992). In addition to the development of leadership skills, the assessment of leadership skills is a critical component to the continual development of leadership education as a discipline (Brungardt & Crawford, 1996). A variety of research studies have addressed the concept of leadership skill assessment (Blackwell, Cummins, Townsend, & Cummings, 2007; Brungardt & Crawford, 1996; Goertzen, 2009; Rosch & Caza, 2012; Rosch & Schwartz, 2009; Williams, Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 10.12806/V16/I1/R6 JAN 2017 RESEARCH 83 Townsend, & Linder, 2005). Some studies have focused on the methods of assessing leadership skills (Goertzen, 2009; Rosch & Schwartz, 2009) while others have focused on the assessment of leadership programs (Blackwell et al., 2007; Rosch & Caza, 2012; Williams et al., 2005). Previous assessments of programmatic effectiveness have identified a number of successful outcomes among leadership education students (Blackwell et al., 2007; Rosch & Caza, 2012; Williams et al., 2005). Examples of these positive outcomes include: increased leadership capacity (Rosch & Caza, 2012), leadership skill development (Blackwell et al., 2007), and self-perceived leadership knowledge (Williams et al., 2005). These studies provide evidence that leadership programs at the college level can be an effective tool in the development of leadership skills; however, they fail to illuminate specific pedagogical approaches linked to these leadership outcomes. One potential method for the assessment of leadership skills with little exploration in the leadership discipline is the needs assessment model (Borich, 1980). This model identifies individuals’ perceived needs by measuring the discrepancy between perceived importance and perceived competence of a specified skill (Borich, 1980). Use of this method in the leadership development discipline has the potential to improve leadership program administrators’ ability to identify needs among learners engaged in a program as well as to assess the development of leadership skills by measuring the change in perceived needs. In this study, we utilized the needs assessment approach to analyze leadership skill development among postsecondary students. The theoretical foundation for our analysis was the input, environment, and outcomes model described within the theory of student involvement (Astin, 1999). This model posits students enter an educational program with specific attributes (i.e. inputs) and through an experience they are changed (i.e. outcomes). We operationalized this model within our analysis using the following process, students’ perceived leadership needs were assessed before engaging in the leadership development program (i.e. inputs), their leadership needs were again assessed after their experience (i.e. outcomes). A decrease in perceived leadership needs was operationalized as leadership skill development and was then linked to specific curricular experiences. Figure 1 illustrates the operational framework used in our analysis. Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 10.12806/V16/I1/R6 JAN 2017 RESEARCH 84 Figure 1. Operational framework for the relationship between curriculum and leadership skill development. Research Purpose & Questions The purpose of this research was to (a) measure leadership skill development through a year-long leadership development program, and (b) provide potential links between leadership skill development and curricula utilized during a leadership development program. By completing this study, researchers sought to evaluate the effectiveness of certain leadership development experiences. This line of inquiry is supported by the Association of Leadership Educators Research Agenda Priority Area 1: Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Development, which recommends the exploration of curriculum development frameworks to enhance the leadership education transfer of learning (Andenoro et al., 2013). The development and execution of this research project was guided by the following research questions. 1. What are the perceived leadership needs of students when they enter the leadership development program? 2. What are the perceived leadership needs of students when they complete the leadership development program? 3. How do the perce

Leadership Identity Development through an Interdisciplinary Leadership Minor.

We utilized philosophical and historical perspectives to analyze the interconnectedness between agricultural education, science, and society. Using historical evidence, the adaptive role of agricultural education was discussed and recommendations for future adaptability were described. Additionally, connections between agricultural education, science, and society were evaluated in light of the call for agricultural educators to illuminate the links between science and society. In our exploration, the feasibility of linking science and society within school-based agricultural education was considered as well as the motivation and competence of current agriculture teachers to link science and society. Three types of secondary agriculture teachers emerged: (a) science illuminators, (b) illumination attempters, and (c) vocational purists. Recommendations are made for research exploring how identified classifications of teachers meet the science and social learning needs of students. Additionally, recommendations include methods for operationalizing agriculture, science, and society connections to enhance student learning and the positive impact of school-based agricultural education.

Identifying Inputs to Leadership Development within an Interdisciplinary Leadership Minor.

Leadership development among postsecondary students can occur through a variety of experiences; one such experience is a leadership minor. The purpose of this descriptive interpretive study was to analyze students’ experiences while enrolled in a leadership minor with a focus on exploring evidence of leadership identity development. By exploring the leadership identity development of students enrolled in a leadership minor, we sought to provide valuable information for professionals within postsecondary leadership education offering, or planning to offer a leadership minor. Our analysis revealed changes in the leadership identity and skill development of students involved in the leadership minor. Implications and recommendations for leadership development programs, specifically leadership minors, are discussed. Introduction and Theoretical Framework Although leadership development is a broad term, it typically involves behaviors in which individuals change their perceived identity as a leader (Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, Mainella, & Osteen, 2005; Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, Mainella, & Osteen, 2006; Lord & Hall, 2005). Therefore, effective leadership development programs could be identified as programs that encourage the development of leadership identity among participants. This study sought to examine a leadership development experience at the college level, a leadership minor, by evaluating the development of participants’ leadership identity. In 2005 and 2006, a team led by Susan Komives set out to further understand leadership development by examining changes in leadership identity over time. This work yielded a leadership identity model (Komives et al., 2005; Komives et al., 2006). The leadership identity model expanded the previous understanding of leadership development to include a specific process in which leaders develop. The leadership identity model proposed by Komives et al. Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 1012806/V15/I1/R3 Volume 15 Issue 1 Research 32 (2005, 2006) was developed using the leadership development reflections of students at the postsecondary level. Komives et al. (2005, 2006) selected this population because students in college had enough life experience to reflect on while still being actively engaged in the development of their own leadership identity. The leadership identity model proposed by Komives et al. (2005, 2006) outlined six stages of identity development: awareness, exploration/engagement, leader identified, leadership differentiated, generativity, and integration/synthesis (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Six stages of leadership identity development (Komives et al., 2005, 2006). The first stage, awareness, involves students becoming aware that leadership happens in the world. Typically, students in this stage view leaders as historic figures. Furthermore, students in this stage feel completely reliant on the leadership of others. For many students, identifying aspects of their own leadership identity is not realized until it is brought to their attention (Komives et al., 2005). Therefore, education programs that discuss aspects of leadership identity aid in the transition to the second stage. The transition out of the awareness stage begins when an individual starts to realize their potential to be a leader in the future. In stage two, exploration and engagement, students begin to form peer groups and seek opportunities to explore their interests. Opportunities for students to take on new responsibilities, including leadership, occur during this exploration-based stage. Students’ view of leadership in stage two includes recognizing leaders within their daily life, like teachers, ministers, and siblings. The transition out of stage two is typically marked by the recognition of the student’s leadership potential by someone else (Komives et al., 2006). Stage three, leader-identified, is the stage in which the majority of students begin their college career. In the leader-identified stage, students recognize positional leadership and begin moving in and out of leadership roles, exploring what it takes to be a positional leader. As students move through this stage, they start to reduce their involvement in groups, focusing on those groups with greater personal meaning. During stage three, leaders pursue more complex Leadership Identity 1. Awareness 6. Integration/Synthesis 2. Exploration/Engagement 3. Leader Identified 4. Leadership Differentiated 5. Generativity Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 1012806/V15/I1/R3 Volume 15 Issue 1 Research 33 leadership roles and recognize quality leadership requires all group members to participate in the process of leadership. Reflection and learning are essential as students continue to transition out of stage three. This time of reflection and learning leads the student to consciously practice new ways of being a leader (Komives et al., 2006). Entering stage four, leadership-differentiated, students begin to view leadership as more than a title. During this stage, students view themselves as community builders within their groups. This new view of leadership forces many students to seek guidance from adults to process their leadership experiences in search of a deeper understanding of leadership. Students also turn to their peers as role models for effective leadership practices. Students begin to connect their leadership to a larger purpose as they transition into stage five, generativity. As students move through stage five of leadership identity development, their philosophies of leadership begin to take shape, and a stronger commitment to their group develops (Komives et al., 2006). During this phase, students develop a commitment to ideals and purposes that are larger than themselves, and a concern for the welfare and future of their organization, ideals, and purposes develops. As students transition into the final stage of leadership identity development, integration/synthesis, they begin to align their leadership skills to their future goals. Stage six is characterized by students identifying they have the leadership skills to be effective in a variety of contexts. In addition, stage six is marked with a commitment to life-long development and a confidence to try new leadership experiences. Students integrating leadership into their personal identity is a hallmark of this stage (Komives et al., 2006). The leadership identity model served as the theoretical framework for our research. It is important to note, student progression through the six stages of the leadership identity model is rarely linear; in fact, research by Komives and her team (2005, 2006) suggested a “helix model” in which students continuously return to previous stages as they progress. In this study we analyzed the reflections of students to identify evidence of progression through the stages of leadership identity development while enrolled in a leadership minor. A leadership minor is designed as a place within the academic curriculum for students to engage in leadership development (Johnson White, 2006). Leadership minors offer students an opportunity to explore leadership theories, develop leadership skills, and further their leadership development through a variety of in-class and out-of-class experiences. In this study, we sought to identify if involvement in a leadership minor could elicit evidence of leadership identity development. Purpose/Research Questions As part of a larger qualitative study, this particular study sought to analyze and describe students’ experiences in a leadership minor with the intent to identify and describe changes in leadership identity. To that end, our research question was: How does leadership identity change as a result of students’ experiences in the leadership minor? This research project is intended to address Area I, Priority I of the National Leadership Education Research Agenda to “explore Curriculum Development Frameworks to Enhance the Leadership Education Transfer of Learning” (Andenoro et al., 2013, p. 5). Journal of Leadership Education DOI: 1012806/V15/I1/R3 Volume 15 Issue 1 Research 34 Methods/Procedures In this qualitative study, we utilized a descriptive and interpretive research design, which included “description, interpretation, and understanding in the form of recurrent patterns, themes, or categories” (Merriam, 1998, p. 34). According to Creswell (2008) “The focus of qualitative research is on the participants’ perceptions and experiences, and the way they make sense of their lives” (p. 195). Participants in this study shared their experiences and perceptions of the leadership minor through elicitation of written reflections, a student portfolio, a focus group interview, and a questionnaire. Participants. The leadership minor at Oregon State University was developed with a goal to provide college students with a variety of learning opportunities and experiences for the purpose of leadership education and development. Based on recommendations by the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS), the leadership minor was centered on leadership theory, trait/skill development, and application (Roberts, 1997). Curriculum and student experiences were based around these three areas with an added emphasis on team interactions and a capstone course to facilitate a team-based learning environment. The participants for this study were purposefully selected undergraduate students enrolled in the final capstone class of the leadership minor during the Spring 2013 term. Participants were selected in order to obtain the most information about experiences and perceptions of the leadership minor. We purposefully selected outspoken, and seemingly influential students, but also less involved, more quiet students. Additionally, we sought to obtain a sample of students whose life experiences as well as leadership minor experiences varied. The participants represented the first cohort from Oregon State University

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHER IMMEDIACY AND STUDENT MOTIVATION

Researchers conducted a qualitative analysis of students’ experiences while enrolled in an interdisciplinary leadership minor with the intent to determine programmatic inputs that spur leadership development. Based on students’ reflections, three domains of programmatic inputs for leadership development within the minor were identified. These domains include leadership development at the individual level, leadership development at the group level, and leadership development through experiential learning. Themes within these three domains are also identified providing additional insight into the participants’ experiences while enrolled in the leadership minor. Based on these findings, researchers proposed a framework for leadership development within an interdisciplinary minor. Recommendations for future research and application of the proposed framework are discussed. Introduction and Theoretical Framework College graduates with leadership skills are highly marketable (Astin & Astin, 2000) and one of the functions of post-secondary institutions is to develop marketable employees (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education [CAS], 2012). Consequently, postsecondary institutions have increased leadership opportunities for students (Dugan, 2006; Engbers, 2006). In the process of providing leadership opportunities, institutions should consider effective strategies for the development of leadership among students (Astin & Astin, 2000). This study explores students’ perceptions of an interdisciplinary leadership minor with a