Date of Award
8-16-2024
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Suzy Hardie
Abstract
Leadership development for female adolescent students is a realm in education that needs to be addressed to further optimize the quality and quantity of leadership opportunities for female students. This dissertation explores, through improvement science, how one residential school with limited opportunities for female students in grades 11 and 12 to learn real-world leadership development skills optimized the structure of one leadership development program within the school. Specifically, three Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycles were used to focus on the logistics of the weekly meetings of this leadership program, the introduction of adults to the weekly meetings, and the benefits of a mentor-mentee relationship within the program. Data collection methods were both qualitative and quantitative methods that included observable data, attendance tracking, and a post-meeting qualitative survey. Key findings showed that meeting logistics and program design were crucial to the success of the program, a mentorship relationship between adults and students led to student perception of program success, and continuous improvement was an impactful method of introducing change within educational systems.
Rights
© 2024, Cassandra Ruscz
Recommended Citation
Ruscz, C.(2024). Fostering Empowered Leaders: How a Residential High School Optimized a Leadership Development Program for Adolescent Female Students. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7789