Search Results (59)

This study examines perceptions of sexual harassment in sports 25 years after the enactment of Israel’s prevention of sexual harassment law, building upon a 1999 study by Feigin and Negbi. Utilizing feminist and power relations theories, this research investigates how perceptions have evolved across genders, competitive levels, and coaching statuses. A total of 361 participants, including non-competitive, competitive, and Olympic athletes, completed a questionnaire assessing perceptions of potentially harassing behaviors. The results reveal significant shifts in awareness, particularly among female athletes, across all four factors of sexual harassment examined. The most substantial change was observed in the “Between concern and interest” factor, indicating increased sensitivity to ambiguous behaviors. Olympic athletes and coaches demonstrated heightened awareness compared to non-competitive athletes. Gender disparities persisted, with female participants consistently showing higher sensitivity to potentially harassing behaviors. These findings underscore the need for tailored educational programs, policy revisions, and increased representation of diverse perspectives in sports leadership. Full article

Background: Fundamental movement skills (FMS)—including muscular strength, endurance, and mobility—are linked to better health-related quality of life and higher physical activity in children. Rural children often score lower on FMS tests than urban peers due to resource limitations rather than ability. Thus, increasing access to FMS activities in under-resourced rural areas is essential. The primary objective was to test the feasibility of Hoosier Strength in a rural middle school sample, and the secondary objective was to observe the preliminary changes in FMS-related outcomes pre- to post-intervention and at follow-up. The exploratory objective was to explore how participants responded to different coaches on the Hoosier Strength coaching team (i.e., gender, coaching style during activities). Methods: This study used a Hybrid Type 3 design to evaluate feasibility and FMS outcomes, integrating qualitative and quantitative data. The four-week intervention included a test group (n = 24; 14 females, 10 males; mean age: females 12.4 ± 0.5 years, males 12.7 ± 0.4 years) and a control group (n = 12; 8 females, 4 males; mean age: females 12.9 ± 0.3 years, males 12.7 ± 0.3 years). Data analysis included descriptive statistics for feasibility indicators (Acceptability of Intervention Measures [AIM], Intervention Appropriateness Measure [IAM], and Feasibility of Intervention Measure [FIM]), linear regression for mobility and muscular endurance changes, t-tests for psychological need satisfaction and frustration, and regression analysis for squat knowledge and post-intervention confidence. Results: (1) There was high feasibility across the 4-week Hoosier Strength intervention and at follow-up; (2) there were no statistically significant changes in squat performance; (3) participants’ confidence in their ability to squat at the end of the intervention was significantly predicted by their squat knowledge at baseline; and (4) participants prioritized leadership and team management over tactical analysis, highlighting a preference for coaches who foster teamwork. Conclusions: The findings offer a transparent approach for evaluating the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of the Hoosier Strength intervention in an under-resourced rural middle school, thereby encouraging further investigation into strength training interventions in rural schools. Full article

Youth sport research has routinely suggested that sport has the potential to serve as a meaningful context for learning. particularly when programs are designed to promote positive youth development (PYD) outcomes. Indeed, participation in sport-based PYD programs has been shown to lead to the development and transfer of life skills. Yet, even given the growth of sport-based PYD research over the last two decades, much remains unknown about specific programmatic design features. Promising practices point to the role of reflection in facilitating life skill development and the application of newly learned skills to real-life. This study investigates the reflective journaling of 234 youth experiencing social vulnerabilities who participated in a sport-based PYD program called LiFEsports. Thematic analyses explored text and illustrations included in youth journals. Results suggest that youth both understand and consider how life skills (i.e., self-control, effort, teamwork, social responsibility, personal responsibility, leadership) can be transferred to settings such as at home, during school and in the community. Further findings highlight the relationship between significant others (e.g., teammates, coaches, parents) and life skills transfer, particularly related to reinforcement. Ultimately, journaling may serve as a viable method to prompt reflections among youth. Full article

Relationships are central to the work of school leaders; however, little is currently known about how leadership preparation programs provide learning experiences for students which develop their relational abilities and orient them to adopt a relational stance in their work. The purpose of this paper is to fill this knowledge void by describing leadership preparation experiences provided through the IMPACT program. Specifically, we describe the IMPACT program and present the unique program features which exemplify how leadership preparation programs can create meaningful learning opportunities to achieve the following: (a) equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to foster transformative relationships within their school communities; (b) nurturing students’ holistic development and well-being. Program features include university–school–community partnerships, student recruitment and selection, cohort model, leadership seminars, the curriculum and pedagogy, internship experiences, student mentoring and coaching, and post-graduation support. We use the literature on caring, compassionate school leadership, leader preparation, and mentorship to frame our discussion. Finally, we offer recommendations which enable leadership preparation programs to capitalize on the power of relationships in leaders’ development and, more broadly, school improvement processes. Full article

The health and social care needs of children and adults with disabilities are often neglected in many low- and middle-income countries. International opinion favours the creation of community-based supports rather than the institutional and clinic-based care that has dominated to date. However, models of care that are reliant on community leadership have been slow to develop within and across less affluent countries. Moreover, the managerial models inherent in institutional-based care are likely to be inadequate in such settings. This descriptive study aimed to explore the leadership qualities required in initiating and sustaining community-based supports. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 16 leaders of projects in Africa, Asia, and South America. They included people with sensorial, physical, and intellectual disabilities as well as non-disabled leaders of local and national projects plus others whose leadership was at a regional or international level. Two main questions were addressed: what are the qualities required to function as a community leader and how can these qualities be nurtured in low resourced settings? The insights gained would inform the preparation and training of community leaders. Thematic content analysis identified three core themes: first, personal qualities such as empathy with an understanding of the personal circumstances of persons in need of support; second, communicating clearly the vision and values informing their work; and thirdly, building and mobilising community support from families and neighbours. The nurturing of leadership comes through mentoring and coaching, the empowerment of others, networking opportunities, and the development of inter-personal and communication skills. These themes were commonly expressed across the 16 leaders from all the participating nations and at all levels of responsibility, which suggests a universality of approach in relation to people with disabilities. The findings are in marked contrast to current practices in health and social care that have valued professional expertise over lived experience, knowledge, and technical skills over compassion and empathy, and the provision of person-centred “treatments” over developing community and personal self-reliance. Nonetheless, the challenges involved in establishing and sustaining new styles of leadership are many and will not be quickly resolved. Full article

In response to the growing demand for interdisciplinary leadership education within higher academia, this paper presents an action research initiative entitled “Who Am I and What Do I Do as a Designer?” The study involved 14 first-year environmental design and planning students, aiming to foster leadership qualities like independent thinking and self-reflection. The transformative process spanned several phases, including collaborative assignment statement development, design topic selection guided by a diagnostic survey, peer-coaching sessions for constructive feedback, active participation in the design process, and a culminating phase of meaningful self-reflection on their roles as designers. Initially faced with the challenging question of their identity as designers, the students ultimately created designs that authentically reflected their unique designer personas. Notably, 92% of students reported a stronger sense of identity as designers and 70% highlighted significant improvements in time management and planning. This work underscores the vital role of design education in not only honing technical and adaptive skills but also nurturing personal and leadership growth. Full article

Background/Objectives: The present study examined the predictive relationships between transformational leadership, psychological safety, and concussion reporting intentions. Interviews were used to understand the impact of the coach and teammates on the team environment and how this might lead to greater concussion reporting in team-sport athletes. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design. 233 team-sport athletes (n = 160 males, n = 73 females, mean age = 19.83 years, SD = 3.15) completed quantitative measures of transformational leadership, psychological safety, and concussion reporting intentions, while five participants (n = 2 males, n = 3 females, mean age = 18.40 years, SD = 0.55) were subsequently interviewed about their experiences. Results: Quantitative results indicated that transformational leadership predicted a psychologically safe environment (p < 0.001), and social norms for team-sport athletes predicted concussion reporting intentions (p < 0.001). Qualitative findings highlighted the important role that coaches and teammates play in creating an open environment that encourages concussion reporting. Education and awareness were also seen to further develop such an environment, while athletes identified several barriers to reporting symptoms of concussion. Conclusions: The findings from this study provide researchers and practitioners with preliminary evidence that can shape the design of interventions to support the development of a team environment that can promote concussion reporting and, thus, prioritise player health. Full article

This study explores the association between engaging leadership and the strength of an ethical organizational culture (EOC) in leader–follower mentoring dyads. In particular, we use an Actor Partner Interdependence Mediation model to test in a sample of 20 dyads the mediating role of relational variables (psychological safety, distrust, organizational identification and knowledge sharing) as reported by the mentees in the relation between engaging leadership and EOC. Our research shows that mentor–mentee perceptions of engaging leadership are positively correlated. Engaging leadership as reported by mentees was negatively related to distrust and positively to psychological safety, knowledge-sharing and organizational identification. Furthermore, engaging leadership as reported by mentors significantly reduced distrust and increased the strength of EOC, as reported by mentees and mentors. Although knowledge sharing strengthened the EOC, none of the indirect effects of empowering leadership on EOC were significant. The results underscore the importance of engaging leadership in strengthening trust, psychological safety and organizational identification, while highlighting the role of dyadic relationships in promoting a strong EOC. Full article

Background/Objectives: Early social and emotional well-being is crucial for child development with life-long outcomes. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C Early Intervention system, which federally mandates special education services for children ages birth to three, is one place where identifying and addressing early social emotional needs could be strengthened. Focusing on an implementation science approach, the Pyramid Model (PM) is examined to see how the model’s targeted implementation efforts over many years enhance a system’s capacity to identify and address social and emotional well-being in one state over five years. Methods: Implementation science methods were used to evaluate the impact of PM implementation over time in four independently operating sites within one state, emphasizing the use of coaching to support practice change, as well as fidelity tools and examination of system changes over time. Results: All sites increased capacity for PM implementation. Results varied by site but all sites were able to demonstrate improvement and higher fidelity implementation by the last year. Conclusions: The PM is an effective model to use within IDEA Part C programs to enhance capacity to identify and address social and emotional needs of children and families receiving services. Implementation factors are needed for success, including leadership support, organizational dynamics (e.g., creating dedicated time for staff to engage in training, external and internal coaching, and case reviews), committed funding, and dedicated support for implementation and evaluation. Full article

As an approach, coaching-based models have been demonstrated to enhance student self-efficacy, improve grades, and increase retention and graduation rates. Coaching-based training models are also key in mentor development, focusing on open-ended questions and active listening to create supportive environments where mentees can independently find solutions. This approach not only builds mentors’ communication and leadership skills but also enhances their adaptability and problem-solving abilities. For underrepresented groups in STEM, such training positions mentors as knowledge facilitators, helping bridge gaps in mentorship experiences and bolstering confidence in their roles, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and effective learning ecosystem. This study investigates the impact of a coaching-based approach to near-peer mentor training within the UK START program, focusing on high school student participants. Interviews revealed significant benefits, including enhanced communication skills, particularly in asking open-ended questions and avoiding judgmental language. Mentors also reported improved composure in stressful situations, often utilizing techniques such as deep breathing to manage emotions during interactions with young campers. Additionally, participants experienced personal growth, seeing themselves as leaders and role models, which they attributed to the mentorship training. The role affirmed their confidence in their STEM knowledge and sparked interest in future mentorship roles. These findings suggest that structured coaching-based training can build a supportive environment, benefiting both mentors and mentees. Full article

Background/Objectives: Athletes are particularly vulnerable to developing eating disorders, which can negatively impact both health and athletic performance. The coach–athlete relationship plays a central role in athletes’ development and well-being. However, little is known about how coaches’ leadership styles relate to athletes’ self-criticism and disordered eating. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relationship between athletes’ perceptions of their coach’s leadership style and their own self-criticism and disordered eating. Methods: A total of 150 athletes from team ball sports, aged 18 to 43 years (M = 25.0, SD = 6.0), completed self-report measures. Results: 27.3% of the participants were at heightened risk of developing eating disorders, and 38.7% lacked access to nutritional or psychological support within their clubs. Significant positive associations were found between coaches’ negative feedback style and athletes’ self-criticism and disordered eating, and between passive management style and athletes’ self-criticism and disordered eating. Moreover, athletes’ self-criticism fully mediated the relationship between these leadership styles and athletes’ disordered eating. Additionally, coaches’ vision, inspiration, and individualization styles were related to decreased self-criticism in athletes. Conclusions: Coaches’ leadership styles are significantly related to athletes’ psychological and nutritional health. This research has important implications for promoting healthier practices in sports settings. Full article

This manuscript presents a comprehensive analysis of NC State University’s redesigned principal preparation program, emphasizing its alignment with state and national leadership standards, innovative curriculum, and commitment to practical application. The program’s redesign addresses long-standing criticisms of traditional university-based leadership preparation, such as the disconnect between theory and practice, by incorporating data-driven instructional leadership, equity-focused training, and collaborative community engagement. Additionally, this article explores the role of specialized internships, full-time residencies, and the integration of technology in training future principals. The program’s success is demonstrated by improved principal placement, school outcomes, and teacher retention—particularly in high-need schools. Finally, the manuscript discusses the future of leadership preparation, highlighting the potential of artificial intelligence to further enhance decision-making, personalized professional development, and administrative efficiency, while addressing ethical considerations such as data privacy and equity. Full article

This article examines the role of leadership development interventions in pre-empting leader derailments. The research literature suggests that derailments are not only commonplace but associated with a range of significant costs, from financial, to mental health, to morale, to employee turnover, to missed opportunities. Given these costly consequences, this article seeks to answer the question: “Can leadership development—especially at early managerial-career stages and during transitions—play a significant role in mitigating leader derailments?” Research suggests that the majority of leadership failures occur—or are more visible—at senior organizational levels. This begs the question of whether development interventions earlier in a leader’s career might have pre-empted their later failure. What if the field of leadership development were to adopt a ‘preventative medicine’ model in which pre-empting derailments was the focus rather than ‘fixing’ leaders as they are derailing? Moreover, there appears to be an overreliance on coaching as the intervention of choice. What if the field were to leverage a broader range of development interventions beyond coaching to ensure a greater probability of minimizing derailments? Five interventions will be discussed which have the potential to pre-empt leadership failures, when deployed in unison. Full article

Coaching is a dynamic, evolving field that seeks to unlock individuals’ potential to achieve their personal and professional best. It has gained widespread recognition across various sectors as an effective means of leadership skills development, including in the vital healthcare sector, which requires innovative strategies to build leadership skills that can sustain high-quality services and maintain patient safety. Many healthcare organizations have thus embraced coaching as a valuable tool for leadership development. This review presents the definitions, concepts, methodology, and applications of coaching, and identifies its salient characteristics in relation to other professions. The second section of this study focuses on a literature review, specifically examining coaching in the healthcare industry and its role as a method for leadership development. The outcome from the review offers insights and results from a review of related research, specifically identifying the potential for coaching within healthcare and its effectiveness in leadership development. The information gathered from this study provides valuable guidance to healthcare leaders and organizations seeking to implement coaching practices in their leadership development programs. Full article

This article presents the results of an investigation into the phenomenon of ‘first level leadership’ in schools. The current theorisation of school leadership largely includes senior and middle leaders. Yet there is evidence in schools, as well as recent research, about the existence of ‘first level leaders’. Some scholars might argue that this equates to teacher leadership, but that term is often confounded with middle leadership. First level leadership includes the efforts of teachers who hold positions of responsibility, but experience smaller spans of influence than middle leaders. The study reported here represents the initial phase of a multi-phase research program aimed at clarifying who first level leaders are and what they do. The aim of the present study was to identify evidence of first level leadership from role descriptions, explanations of governance and leadership structures. The official websites of 675 secondary schools from all sectors and states of Australia were investigated to identify potential first level leadership positions, resulting in evidence from 87 schools. Confirmation of these positions was achieved through descriptions of responsibilities and jurisdictional documents such as role descriptions. The positions included coaches, coordinators and assistant heads. The article concludes with implications for educational leadership theory as well as policy and practices relating to developing school leaders. Full article