Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education Policy, Planning, and Administration

Committee Chairperson

Merry L. Staulters, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jacqueline G. Van Schooneveld, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Brian T. Ulmer, DPA., Superintendent

Abstract

This explanatory sequential mixed methods-case study design grounded in Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, examines the impact of leadership development curriculum on high school students’ perceived levels of self-efficacy as well as researching characteristics students report are most important for strengthening their self-efficacy. Quantitatively, via convenience non-probabilistic sampling, an online Qualtrics questionnaire was used to collect data from 17 students currently in high school who were enrolled in a one-semester leadership development course in their junior or senior year. Qualitatively, six students who completed the questionnaire participated in semi-structured interviews. Additionally, nine students who completed the questionnaire provided three different reflective artifacts from the leadership course to be analyzed. The Schwarzer & Jerusalem General Self-Efficacy (GSE) Rating Scale (1995), was used to measure students' perceived self-efficacy as well as descriptive and inferential statistics from the questionnaire data. Six open-ended interview questions were asked to all participants interviewed in a thirty-minute session to gain detailed perspectives on the impact of the leadership curriculum. A multi-phase coding cycle was used to analyze both student assignments and interviews to look for patterns relevant to self-efficacy and the proposed youth leadership development framework. Participation in the leadership program led to increased self-efficacy among high school students, particularly through leadership roles in team building and mentoring younger students. This data was corroborated by both quantitative and qualitative data, which also revealed growth in related areas such as emotional intelligence and problem-solving, and identified key program themes of stress management and leadership skills.

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