Examining Leadership Development through Student Leader Outdoor Recreation Training

Abstract

Since their inception, student leadership development has been a consistent goal of outdoor recreation programs (ORPs). However, little research has been conducted to better understand how these experiences contribute to leadership development for college students. Using the Komives et al. (2005) model of leadership identity development, this qualitative research study examined leadership identity development in the context of a training trip for student employees of an ORP. By focusing on this particular training program, the study sought to answer the following research question: How does participating in an outdoor recreation training trip impact students' leadership identity development? The study found that the participants were navigating through the final three stages of Komives et al.'s (2005) leadership model: leadership differentiated, generativity, and integration/synthesis stages. Participants understood the role of positional leaders and that there were others who were able to lead without holding titles or positions; participants were able to articulate the role of leaders in helping others and sustaining the program; and participants also articulated how these experiences related to their lives beyond ORP trips, achieving the reflective goals of the integration and synthesis. The results highlight the importance of communication and teamwork in leadership development. The findings provide evidence of the role of ORP in enhancing student leadership identity and make the case for continued or expanded support for these programs. The findings of this study provide insight into how student leadership identity development takes place when students are involved in ORP experiences.