The Relationship between Students’ Leadership Style and Self-Directed Learning Level

Abstract

Leadership is a versatile process that requires working with others in personal and professional relationships to accomplish a goal. Cultivating leadership skills is important for students who are developing professional competencies. Leadership characteristics and abilities should be evaluated to assist in learning student traits to better prepare students for their professions. This study examined the relationship between students’ leadership style and self-directed learning levels. This was a descriptive and correlational study with undergraduate students enrolled in agricultural leadership courses (N = 138). The theoretical framework for this study was based on transactional and transformational leadership theory, self-directed learning theory, and andragogy. Students were more oriented toward relationship leadership style versus task orientation. Task oriented leadership style was found to be correlated with students’ self-directedness levels. Professional development specialists and human resources trainers should develop comprehension on the effects of how employee leadership style may influence other job performance variables. Agricultural leadership researchers and practitioners should gain a better understanding of variables that may affect students’ leadership styles in order to best prepare students for future leadership oriented careers. Agricultural education faculty could gain a better understanding of the academic and professional leadership experiences that most interest students.