How do Community College Leaders Learn Leadership? A Mixed Methods Study on Leadership Learning Experiences - research paper summary

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca

Explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examining how community college administrators develop leadership skills and aptitudes. The research first collects quantitative survey data through descriptive responses and then explains those findings using qualitative interview data from current community college administrators. Guided by a theoretical framework centered on social and experiential learning, results show that learning emerges through varied environmental experiences. Linking new concepts to prior experiences supports skill acquisition. Findings indicate leadership is learnable, experiences are central to learning leadership, and programs should embed experiential learning more intentionally; further evaluation is needed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Background and Purpose

Leadership development need in community colleges

Study purpose and research question

Literature Review

Common avenues for learning leadership

Contemporary emphasis on practical and contextual learning

Methodology and Findings (overview)

How do Community College Leaders Learn Leadership? A Mixed Methods Study on Leadership Learning Experiences Jill Channing East Tennessee State University The need for community college leadership development is pressing due to impending retirementsand leadership vacancies. To better understand how leaders develop leadership skills and aptitudes, this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study aimed to examine perceptions of community college administrators’ leadership learning experiences. The study involved first collecting quantitative data through descriptive survey responses and then explaining these results with qualitative interview data from current community college administrators. In alignment with the theoretical framework focusing on social and experiential learning, this study’s findings reveal that learning occurs through a variety of means and experiences within one’s environment. When new concepts or skills are related to previous experiences and learning, this assists with learning those new concepts and skills. Results suggest that leadership is alearnable skill, experiences are key to learning leadership, and leadership development programs can integrate experiential learning more intentionally into their curricula. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of educational programs for community college leaders working in increasingly complex contexts. Keywords: community college leadership; leadership professional development; leadership education; experiential learning; Kolb and leadership Education Leadership Review, Volume 23, Number 1, Fall 2022 201 The need for community college leadership development is pressing. The impending retirement of many current higher-level community college administrators poses a risk for gaps in community college functionality (Artis & Bartel, 2021; Campbell et al., 2010; Hull & Keim, 2007) . This has been deemed an impending leadership crisis brought on by retirements and leadership vacancies (Appadurai, 2009; Chen, 2020; Forthun & Freeman, 2017), creating a need for new and effective leaders to step into these roles (Eddy, 2013) . The effect of these vacancies is compounded by the fact that the average tenure of community college presidents is lower than the average president’s tenure at other higher education institutions (Eddy & Garza Mitchell, 2017; Phillippe, 2016), recently reaching an all-time low of 6.5 years (Gagliardi et al., 2017) . Additionally, although internal hires have been the dominant model for leadership succession in community colleges (Amey et al., 2002; Eddy & Boggs, 2010), many potential Chief Academic Officer (CAO) candidates within universities are also close to retirement or do not desire to be CAOs because of the increasing demands of the job (Jones & Johnson, 2014) . While there is an increasingly diverse pool of potential CAO candidates, the increased demands on diverse CAOs, especially women of color, create more challenges for diverse candidates seeking CAO positions (Braxton, 2018; Delgado & Ozuna Allen, 2019) . These growing leadership vacancies, combined with the need for efficacy and equity in leadership succession, have led to an increasing demand for adjustments to community college leadership development initiatives (Calareso, 2013; Moustafa, 2016; Wallin, 2006) . Specifically, initiatives to develop community college leadership competencies, build teams, develop organizational talent, and increase individual ability to lead under pressure are essential to community college success (Artis & Bartel, 2021; Moldoveanu & Narayandas, 2019) . To meet this growing demand for skilled leaders, further research about how community college leaders develop leadership is required. Since the financial crisis of 2008-2009, finances at community colleges have changed, and increased national emphasis has been focused on community colleges as suppliers of qualified workers (Eddy & Garza Mitchell, 2017; Eddy et al., 2019) . P

FAQs

What study design is used to explore leadership learning experiences?

An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design is used, collecting quantitative survey data first and then using qualitative interview data to explain the quantitative results.

Why is community college leadership development considered urgent?

Imminent retirements and leadership vacancies create a risk of gaps in institutional functionality, increasing the need for new leaders and effective leadership succession.

What does the study indicate about how leadership is learned?

Leadership is portrayed as an acquired skill, with experiences playing a key role; connecting new concepts to prior experiences supports learning.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca