Student Organization Leadership Aspirations of First Generation Students Enrolled in a College Based First Semester University Academic Success Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate student organization leadership aspirations of college students currently enrolled in a college-based first semester academic success program and the relationship with the student’s self-awareness leadership behavior. The study was structured with two research designs; phenomenological and quantitative. Five purposively selected students were interviewed using the semi-structured format. The methodology used for the quantitative study data was collected from two groups, academic success program participant (n=29) and academic success program non-participant (n=52) using an instrument comprised of a two part questionnaire investigating the students’ selection and enrollment with the academic success program and awareness of personal leadership behaviors with the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire-Ideal Self (LBDQ). A correlation analysis between participation, student organization leadership aspirations, knowledge and interest and students’ personal leadership behavior was done.

The phenomenological study findings found that students did not develop student organization leadership aspirations through their participation in the academic success program. Each student’s priority was their academic achievement over organization participation. The quantitative study found that students who participated in the academic success program had higher aspirations than non-participants. There was not a statistically significant difference for participants versus non participants and their scores for each scale of the LBDQ.

A leadership component should be implemented in the academic success program curriculum. This would allow students to maintain the priority of their academic performance while also developing leadership awareness and skills.