STRENGTHENING COLLEGE-BASED ORGANIZATIONS: A DEVELOPMENTAL STUDY ON CULTIVATING THE INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL GROWTH OF NEOPHYTE STUDENT LEADERS

Life Gabriel F. Osumo, Rhea Camille U. Tabanay, Artt Evander B. Dula, Bernadeth L. Bañados, Karen Joy P. Lalaguna

Abstract


In the 21st century, student involvement in school organizations plays a crucial role in shaping cognitive skills, leadership capacity, and personal growth. Nevertheless, many institutions continue to lack structured systems that effectively support and sustain student leadership. This study employed a developmental research design to examine environmental factors influencing leadership development at Makilala Institute of Science and Technology in Cotabato, Philippines, and to identify evidence-based frameworks for strengthening student organizations. The quantitative phase engaged 1,580 student leaders via convenience sampling and yielded 158 valid responses, while the qualitative phase included 10 purposively selected leaders with varying levels of experience. Descriptive statistics, specifically the mean and standard deviation, were used to assess student leaders’ perceptions across six leadership dimensions. Leadership and Influence emerged as the strongest area with a mean of 3.36, while Organizational Support and Resources showed the greatest need for improvement with a mean of 2.69. To determine whether significant differences existed between groups, the Kruskal–Wallis H Test was applied across categories of leadership experience and gender. Findings revealed competent individual leadership but insufficient institutional scaffolding. Qualitative insights further indicated faculty-dominated decision-making and limited student autonomy. A comparative model analysis identified the integration of the ADKAR Change Management Model and the Logical Framework Approach as the most effective strategy. The resulting framework advances SDG 4 by promoting structured, inclusive, and sustainable leadership development in higher education.

 

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student leadership, organizational development, SDG 4, developmental research design, leadership framework

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i12.6433

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