Cultivation of Leadership in Higher Education Students

Abstract

In the midst of great and rapid change, it is no longer sufficient to equip higher education students with discipline knowledge and skills. Instead, it is imperative that graduates not only cope with change, but they should also drive and incite change. Given leadership is about dealing with change, it is argued that each and every student should develop leadership capabilities throughout the course of their tertiary studies since, during their careers, they will be required to engage in leadership activity, regardless of the ‘rung' they occupy within an organization. Although approaches to leadership development such as specific programs of study or extra-curricular activities have been shown to be useful, leadership can, and should also be cultivated as an integral part of students' studies in whatever discipline is being pursued. If instructors adopt a social constructivist philosophy of teaching and learning, then conditions become favourable for the cultivation of leadership within the classroom in such a way that is integrated with learning and discipline knowledge. The conditions include teacher as leader, role model and mentor, and emphasis on reflection and on metacognitive activity.