Date of Graduation

Spring 2009

Degree

Master of Science in Education in Secondary Education in Social Studies

Department

History

Committee Chair

Thomas Kane

Abstract

This study investigated the leadership attributes of collegiate student-athletes. Central to this study was the predictors and outcomes of leadership self-efficacy and leadership goal difficulty. Team experiences, sport ability, and leadership experiences were proposed to be positively associated with leadership self-efficacy and leadership goal difficulty. Leadership self-efficacy and leadership goals were hypothesized to be positively associated with leadership effectiveness and coach's assessments of leadership development. Athletes who participated in this study were 180 student-athletes from six collegiate sport teams at a midwest state university. Of the participants, 110 were men and 70 were women. Participating teams were men's football and soccer and women's soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and cross-country. The student-athletes completed pre-season questionnaires to report sport self-efficacy, leadership self-efficacy, and leadership goals. During the pre-season, coaches also evaluated player ability. After the season, players nominated peer-athletes who were evaluated as being team leaders, and coaches evaluated the quality of their athletes' leadership during the season. In support of hypotheses, leadership self-efficacy and leadership goal difficulty were positively associated with leadership effectiveness. Sources of leadership self-efficacy and leadership goal difficulty were sport skill level, team tenure, sport self-efficacy and prior leadership experience. These findings suggest the importance of goals and self-confidence for driving the leadership behavior of student athletes in ways that are meaningful to both peers and coaches. As more is known about the specific causes and effects of leadership efficacy and goals on student-athlete behavior, programs might be developed to help coaches implement leadership plans which promote effective team leadership.

Keywords

goal difficulty, self-efficacy, leadership self-efficacy, free-set goal, student-athlete, leadership

Subject Categories

Liberal Studies

Copyright

© Michael Ty Davis

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