Leadership competencies developed during a short-term domestic study tour: An exploration of participants’ perceptions

Newlin Humphrey; Lauren Cline; Bradley Coleman

doi:10.37433/aad.v4i3.311

Authors

Newlin Humphrey Oklahoma State University, USA https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6328-8333
Lauren L. Cline Oklahoma State University, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4187-8122
Bradley M. Coleman Oklahoma State University, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5981-5747

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37433/aad.v4i3.311

Keywords:

agricultural leadership development, domestic study tour, social capital, youth development

Abstract

As short-term study abroad tours seek to develop globally competent leaders within the agricultural industry, the rich diversity present within the United States has led to the inception of short-term domestic study tours. To improve how global leadership competencies are developed among adolescent participants, understanding competencies gained during short-term international and domestic cultural immersion trips is vital. This case study analysis sought to explore state FFA officer perceptions of leadership competencies developed through participation in the National FFA Organization’s International Leadership Seminar for State Officers (ILSSO) which pivoted to a domestic study tour for 2022. The findings indicate participants perceived agricultural exposure and networking with peers as the development of leadership competencies. Participants also expressed perspective shifts around agricultural production methods and varied cultural experiences in the state of California. Recommendations include designing leadership curriculum for both short-term abroad and domestic tours with a framework grounded in leadership theory and replicating this study to compare findings in various contexts. Similar studies should also be conducted to assess outcomes of leadership development programs designed by the National FFA Organization.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Sorenson, C. (2010). Introduction to research in education (8th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage.

Bunch, J. C., Rampold, S., Cater, M., & Blackburn, J. J. (2018). The impact of a short–term international experience on undergraduate students’ cultural competency. Journal of Agricultural Education, 59(4), 120–136. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2018.04120

Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95–S120. https://doi.org/10.1086/228943

Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2015). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (4th ed.). SAGE.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among the five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE.

Deardorff, D. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002

Gomez-Lanier, L. (2017). The experiential learning impact of international and domestic study tours: Class excursions that are more than field trips. The International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(1), 129–144. https://eric.ed.gov/?q=international+and+education+and+policies%2c+and+issues%2c+and+challenges&pg=958&id=EJ1135842

Hanvey, R. G. (1982). An attainable global perspective. Theory into Practice, 21(3), 162–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405848209543001

Hendrickson, M. L. (2015). Global mindedness and perceptions of study abroad among agriculture students pursuing associate's and bachelor's degrees at North Carolina State University (Order No. 3710619). [Doctoral dissertation, North Carolina State University]. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Landon, Tarrant, M. A., Rubin, D. L., & Stoner, L. (2017). Beyond “just do it”: Fostering higher-order learning outcomes in short-term study abroad. AERA Open, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858416686046

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Quirk, S. (2018). What matters most: Study abroad for global leadership development (Order No. 10981163). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Radford, D. A. (2020). The effectiveness of the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission agricultural leadership development program and developing leadership skills. [Master’s thesis, North Carolina State University]. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Roberts, T. G., Raulerson, B., Telg, R., Harder, A., & Stedman, N. (2019). Exploring how critical reflection can be used in a short-term study abroad experience to elicit cultural awareness and technical knowledge of agriculture students. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Journal, 63(1), 25–31. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2381632361?accountid=4117&pq-origsite=primo&parentSessionId=RFN3W6r7Pyb4k3wU67C8D3PcU%2BAacKB9jbPVQLXqkV4%3D

Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. SAGE.

Stake, R. E. (1978). The case study method in social inquiry. Educational Researcher, 7(2), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.2307/1174340

Smith, D. E., Smith, M. O., Robbins, K. R., Eash, N. S., & Walker, F. R. (2013). Traditionally under-represented students' perceptions of a study abroad experience. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Journal, 57(3), 15–20. https://www.nactateachers.org/attachments/article/2124/8.%20Smith%20NACTA%20Special%20Issue%20Sept%202013.pdf

Sobania, N. & Braskamp, L. A. (2009). Study abroad or study away: It’s not merely semantics. Peer Review, 11(4), 23–26. https://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=45615495&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMNLr40SeqLY4xNvgOLCmsEuepq9Sr6i4Ta6WxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGnr1CvqbNIuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA

Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative quality: Eight “big-tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837–851. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800410383121

Tufford, L., & Newman, P. (2010). Bracketing in qualitative research. Qualitative Social Work, 11(1), 80–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325010368316

Vetter, A., & Wingenbach, G. (2019). Self-perceived employability skills from agricultural study abroad experiences. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Journal, 63(1a), 164–172. https://www.nactateachers.org/attachments/article/2924/25-Self-perceived%20Employability%20Skills.pdf

Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (4th ed.). SAGE.