Summary
Promoting leadership skills among university students is a crucial step toward encouraging them to develop independence in the knowledge acquisition process and, thus, prompt self-directed learning among the target audiences. In his paper, Cansoy (2017) renders the issue of promoting the development of leadership abilities with the help of an appropriate program.
The goal of the paper is to explore the effects that a leadership program has on the acquisition of the relevant skills by university students. Three scales were used as measurement tools for assessing the success of the program. The evaluation process was carried out with the help of a pretest-posttest experimental model (Cansoy, 2017).
According to the outcomes of the study, the program turned out to have a powerful effect on the learners’ understanding of leadership, in general, as well as their ability to communicate essential goals and make important decisions (Cansoy, 2017). Therefore, the study proved that leadership programs designed in academic institutions could use a significant reinforcement. Without the necessary support, learners are unlikely to build the basis for their successful growth as leaders (Cansoy, 2017).
Reaction
Though one might argue that the development of leadership skills has little to do with the academic process, it seems to me that the lack of emphasis on the promotion thereof among university students needs to be addressed. The approach suggested by Cansoy (2017), which implies the development of a comprehensive program raising learners’ awareness of leadership and the components that it includes seems quite legitimate and, therefore, should be applied to the context of a university environment.
I believe that the use of intense class discussions, especially the ones that involve brainstorming and negotiation among the participants, contributes to the development of the required skills extensively. Therefore, the active promotion of cooperation among the group members is crucial to the outcomes of the program.
Furthermore, it seems that the emphasis on building awareness among students should be supported by a wider range of strategies than the ones suggested by Cansoy (2017). To his credit, the author mentions the significance of deploying different teaching approaches during the implementation phase (Cansoy, 2017). However, actual frameworks designed to increase motivation levels among the target audiences need to be created and tested so that a teacher could maintain the levels of motivation among participants high.
Implementation of CRT in the TESOL Classroom
The article can be used in a TESOL classroom environment as the means of promoting leadership qualities in learners. For instance, the research can be used to create a program that will encourage students to improve their communication and negotiation skills by inviting them to participate in group discussions, debates, etc. Thus, learners will be able to work on their collaboration skills and build confidence.
The program should be implemented by encouraging students to work in teams and engage in active discussions, as well as analyze specific cases, providing solutions to the proposed problems, managing group projects, etc. Thus, their ability to cooperate and consider the roles and responsibilities of each participant will improve significantly, which is critical for a leader. Moreover, it will be crucial to include information about multiculturalism and cross-cultural communication so that TESOL learners could be the leaders of diverse groups. With a focus on multicultural communication and cooperation as core components of efficient leadership, one will be able to help students become good leaders.
Reference
Cansoy, R. (2017). The effectiveness of leadership skills development program for university students. Journal of History Culture and Art Research, 6(3), 65-87. Web.