University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Exploring motivation to lead: Insights on student leadership development through volunteer involvement

French, Gregory E.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129427

Description

Title
Exploring motivation to lead: Insights on student leadership development through volunteer involvement
Author(s)
French, Gregory E.
Issue Date
2025-04-23
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Ward Hood, Denice
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Ward Hood, Denice
Committee Member(s)
  • Span, Christopher
  • Rosch, David
  • Goodnight, Melissa
Department of Study
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Discipline
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Student Leadership Development
  • Motivation
  • Motivation to Lead
  • Volunteer Leadership
  • Leadership Motivation
  • Leadership
  • Student Development
  • Situational Determinants
  • Leadership Education
  • Higher Education
  • Undergraduate Students
  • Volunteer
  • Leadership Skills
  • Contextual Influences
  • Qualitative Research
  • Interpretive Descriptive
  • Leadership Behavior
  • Student Perspectives
  • Experiential Learning
  • Leadership Identity
  • Developmental Theory
  • Motivational Theory
  • Student Engagement
Abstract
This study aims to better understand the intricate landscape of student leadership development and motivation to lead within volunteer contexts. By examining diverse motivations and evaluating the way motivations can be categorized, this research utilized Chan and Drasgow’s Motivation to Lead theory (2001), Stewart’s Model of Situational Determinants (1967; 1976; 2002), and Astin’s Student Development Theory (1984). The purpose is to discover influences motivating student leadership development in volunteer contexts and reflective aspects of how leadership development is understood within student development. This study utilized a qualitative interpretive descriptive approach to comprehensively explore individual differences in student leadership motivation and address gaps in situational leadership understanding by emphasizing contextual impact on behavior (Stewart, 1967, 2002; Dugan, 2017). With a narrow focus on leadership development perceptions among students in volunteer settings, this research makes a unique contribution to the broader understanding of effective leadership education and theories on leadership motivation. With these goals in mind, the qualitative study addressed the following questions: • RQ1: What are motivators that influence students’ decisions to pursue and fulfill leadership within volunteer organizations? • RQ2: How do situational determinants influence the relationship between students’ motivation to lead and their development as leaders in a volunteer context? • RQ3: How are students’ experiences and self-perceptions understood through their motivation to lead and leadership behavior in volunteer contexts?
Graduation Semester
2025-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129427
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2025, Gregory E. French

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