Developing leadership competencies in university students through project-based learning

This study aimed to confirm the effectiveness of project methods in cultivating leadership skills among higher education students. The methodology encompassed a questionnaire survey and testing, specifically utilizing the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Situational Judgement Test. Measures of central tendency, including the arithmetic mean, median, and mode, were applied for data analysis. The study involved a sample size of 140 participants. Additionally, inductive statistical methods such as t-statistics, the Shapiro-Wilk test, and Cohen’s d were employed to analyze the data. The findings indicate that students in the experimental group demonstrated a higher level of leadership qualities, notably in communication (4.7 vs. 4.2) and confidence (4.8 vs. 4.3). Statistically significant differences were observed for the individual approach (t=2.1, p<0.05) and result orientation (t=2.4, p<0.05), thereby confirming the effectiveness of project methods. Key improvements were particularly evident in communication, confidence, and result-oriented skills, underscoring the efficacy of project-based methodologies in higher education. In conclusion, project methods positively influence the development of students’ leadership qualities, yielding superior outcomes in the experimental group compared to traditional approaches.