Development of a leadership and entrepreneurship skills assessment instrument

Abstract

Lawrence Technological University has implemented a required four year leadership curriculum for all undergraduate students. Because of the consequential overlap of leadership and entrepreneurial skills, the curriculum also addresses many aspects of the "entrepreneurial mindset" which includes communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, opportunity recognition, persistence, creativity, innovation, creative problem solving, and critical thinking. Individual components of the curriculum will be assessed as well as the curriculum as a whole. As one part of the assessment, a Leadership Self-Perception Assessment Instrument was developed. The instrument will aid in answering the following research questions: • How do students perceive their own leadership traits and skills? • Are students' self-perceptions demonstrating growth in confidence in their leadership abilities because of the experiences and education from each component of the curriculum? • What impact do all the courses in the four-year leadership curriculum have on this perception? • What modifications are necessary to the curriculum to adequately address the student learning outcomes? As implied by these research questions, the instrument will be used for both formative and summative assessment, as well as a longitudinal study of the leadership growth of the students. Instrument development included conducting a focus group for validation, a test-retest to ensure temporal stability and internal consistency, and pilot testing in the second year component Leadership Models and Practices course. The instrument was administered at the beginning and end of the semester to determine the shift in perception of their leadership/entrepreneurial skills. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2010.