Effect of Peer-Led Leadership Workshops on Leadership Skills Among Middle School Students in India

This study researched the effect of peer-led leadership workshops on the perception of leadership skills among middle school children in India. Five hundred ninety-eight 10- to 14-year-old students participated in this study. The students completed a 20-item Likert-type survey that assessed their perceptions of their own leadership skills and skills essential for an effective leader and the students rank ordered the traits of a leader from 1 (highest) to 10 (lowest). The students completed the survey pre- and postworkshop. The workshops were led by two female high school students who were trained to conduct these workshops. The students were taught four main concepts of leadership - traits of good/bad leader, public speaking, self-confidence, and problem solving. The results showed significant differences in the totals scores of leadership self-perception, perception of essential leadership skills, and the four subscales, pre- and postworkshop (p < .001). The first statement, regarding the leader's ability to communicate effectively, saw the most change in the ranking, followed by the second statement, regarding a leader being inspirational. The one-factor ANOVA showed that there was a significant (p < .01) difference in the self and leader variables only by age.