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Impact of a Student Leadership Experience on the Development of Creativity in Undergraduate Students
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Smith, Austin |
| Copyright Year | 2018 |
| Abstract | The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a leadership experience on the development of creativity in undergraduate students in order to help student affairs professionals, faculty, and administrators better understand how they can develop creativity in their students. A phenomenological study was conducted on students who held a leadership position as a Resident Assistant or cabinet member of a student organization on the campus of a small institution in the Midwestern United States. The study consisted of an open-ended survey and semistructured interviews. Key findings from this study include insight into various aspects of students’ experiences in leadership including event planning, supervisors, collaboration, impact on communication, looking past failure, incorporation of interests into their roles, redefining creativity through their roles, and the students’ creative self-efficacy. These findings additionally provide support for the idea that a leadership experience is an effective method for teaching creativity to undergraduate students. 40 Introduction Society often views creativity as some abstract, ethereal mantel which graces certain individuals, bestowing upon them the ability to be artistically inclined (McNiff, 1998). Current research, however, suggests otherwise. Within the past thirty years, scholars across the fields of social sciences and education have become increasingly intrigued with the subject of creativity, examining what traits or dispositions are present in creative individuals, the factors contributing to creativity, and methodologies for its development. Considering the complexity of challenges faced by society, it is important for institutions of higher education to develop individuals who are able to find creative solutions from multidisciplinary perspectives (Berrett, 2013). Fortunately, the tools utilized by creative individuals are often ideal developmental outcomes for those who are involved in student leadership. Despite these potential connections between student leadership and creativity, little to no research exists on the topic. This study sought to examine these potential connections to help student development professionals understand how to develop creativity in their student leaders. Working Definitions and Purpose Statement Because of the variety in approaches to creativity, this study utilized the following working definition: creativity is the ability to make connections within a single field or across multiple fields of knowledge to create a novel concept or product. Student leadership is also a broad topic within the realm of higher education, so this study used the following working definition: student leadership refers to any position in which a student is developed in order to cultivate characteristics indicative of effective leaders. Although Astin and Astin (1996) argued leadership is a process rather than a position, this study discussed leadership in this study as a role since the students examined were in designated leadership positions. The purpose of this study was to examine if a student leadership experience fosters traits associated with creative individuals and if so, the extent and manner in which those traits are being developed. Two research questions guided the study: 1. Is creativity a developmental outcome of a student leadership |
| Starting Page | 3 |
| Ending Page | 3 |
| Page Count | 1 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Volume Number | 18 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://pillars.taylor.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1217&context=acsd_growth |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
