Abstract: — The article examines the influence of the project method on the development of leadership skills of students. The
information on using the project method in high school and specifics of development of the leader’s personality in student age is
analyzed. A set of research methods was used: pedagogical experiment, testing, observation, Student’s t-test. The study involved
292 people. The predominance of medium indicators of leadership skills of respondents was revealed. Such components as
motivation for success and volitional self-control were the least developed. After conducting a formative experiment in the
control group, no significant changes were found in all the studied parameters of leadership. In the experimental group, where
individual projects were implemented, positive changes were recorded only in the component of motivation for success. The
method of group projects has demonstrated effectiveness for the development of all the studied skills, except volitional self-
control. The significance of all detected changes is at the level of p=0.05, which determines the need for further modification of
the method used. Areas of improvement of group projects are prevention of possible conflicts, complication of educational
assignments, realization of qualitative discussion of the final result, taking into account the connection of activity with the
specifics of professional training. The obtained data can be used in the practice of teachers and psychologists of higher
educational institutions (HEIs) in the development of the leadership skills of students. Further prospects for scientific research
include studying the leadership competence of students and finding the correlation of leadership skills with the structural
components of personality.
Keywords: — Project method, leadership skills, communication skills, organizational skills, motivation for success, volitional
self-control, emotional intelligence.
Received: September 25, 2021. Revised: October 13, 2022. Accepted: November 19, 2022. Published: December 20, 2022.
1. Introduction
HE problem of leadership is very relevant in
pedagogical science, as its solution allows to optimize the
interaction in groups of students, which will increase the
efficiency of teaching and education. In this context, it is
important to clarify the basic terminology. It is typical to
define leadership as the power of a participant in social
interaction (leader), which is manifested in the recognition of
the right to make responsible group decisions, determining the
direction and nature of community activities [1]. That is, the
leader is the most authoritative person in the social group.
Theoretical literature distinguishes between the phenomenon
of leadership (informal, spontaneous, based on interpersonal
communication) and management (official, organized,
controlled, based on a system of sanctions) [2].
In modern science, the popularity of the concept of
emergence is growing, which involves the analysis of the
phenomenon of leadership as a system with the characteristics
determined not only by personality traits but also by the
The Impact of the Project Method on the Development of
Leadership Skills in Students
VALENTYNA O. TYURINA1, HANNA Y. SHEVCHUK2, YULIYA D. KRIUKOVA3,
MYKOLA M. LUKASHCHUK4, VIKTORIIA M. SAVISHCHENKO5
1Department of Sociology and Psychology, Faculty №6, Kharkiv National University of Internal
Affairs, 27 Lva Landau Avenue, 61080, Kharkiv,
UKRAINE
2Department of Pedagogics and Innovative Education, Lviv Polytechnic National University,
12 Stepana Bandery Street, 79013, Lviv,
UKRAINE
3Department of Foreign Languages for Sciences, Faculty of foreign Philology, Lesya Ukrainka Volyn
National University, 13 Voli Avenue, 43025, Lutsk,
UKRAINE
4Chemical and Pharmaceutical Disciplines Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Municipal Institution of Higher Education "Rivne Medical Academy" of Rivne Region Council,
53 Karnaukhova Street, 33000, Rivne,
UKRAINE
Faculty of Law, Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs, 26 Gagarina Avenue, 49005,
Dnipro, UKRAINE
T
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
197
Volume 19, 2022
5
activity of other participants in the interaction [3]. It is also
relevant to study the development of so-called collective
leadership, which is to develop the leadership skills of all
members of the group, not a particular person [4]. The studies
are based on the use of the principles of the so-called “Telos
Leadership Lens”. According to the provisions of this concept,
the phenomenon of leadership is defined through the following
theses: 1) the collective thrive for a certain goal; 2) the
responsibility of the majority, not the privilege of the minority;
3) compliance with the sustainable development goals [5]. The
humanistic tradition corresponds to the concept of leadership-
service, which reflects the altruistic orientation of the
authoritative person, care for subordinates, lack of
authoritarian tendencies, focus on community cohesion [6].
This is why modern science urges an approach that excludes
authoritarian tendencies and describes leadership influence on
the basis of positive group processes and the dominance of
benevolence.
A necessary condition for the success of a modern young
person is the ability to produce social interaction. Therefore,
the issue of developing leadership skills that determine the
active position of young people in society is topical. In this
context, it should be remembered that quality higher education
involves not only the professional development of students in a
particular major, but also the full development of personality.
Initiative, communication, organizational skills, social
determination, developed emotional intelligence — all these
qualities are the basis of effective leadership and need to be
developed during the student age. Regulatory acts, as well as
educational and professional programs emphasize the
importance of developing leadership skills of students, but this
task often remains at the level of declaratory statements and
does not find practical implementation. This situation is due to
a number of reasons, one of which is the lack of scientifically
sound methodology for the development of the leader’s
personality in student age. It is important not only to search for
new approaches to the development of leadership skills, but
also to turn to well-known educational approaches that involve
active social interaction in the educational process.
In the context of the development of leadership skills,
educational institutions should adhere to the following
recommendations: 1) definition of a productive philosophy of
leadership; 2) clear formulation of goals and results of
development programs; 3) creating an effective system for
assessing the level of leadership skills; 4) development and
discussion of specific curricula aimed at developing student
leadership; 5) optimal integration of leadership development
classes in the educational process of HEIs [7].The main
conditions for the effective development of leadership skills in
students are the following: 1) expanding the rights and
opportunities of students; 2) creating situations of success,
which involves focusing on feedback and opportunities for
participants in education; 3) ensuring the cognitive interest of
students in educational activities; 4) providing teachers’
support [8].
In the context of the topic of our study, it is advisable to
consider the basic characteristics of the implementation of the
project method in the pedagogical process. Project-based
learning is a method that involves the independent activity of
students in the implementation of significant projects and the
development of real — material or ideal products. The use of
the project method in primary, secondary and higher education
demonstrates high efficiency [9]. The main features of this
technology are topical research issues, focus on educational
goals, implementation of projects in the context of curriculum
implementation, cooperation between students, activity
planning, creation of material or ideal objects (summarizing),
presentation of results [10]. In this case, the need to create the
final product is defined as the main characteristic of the
method [11].
The author of [12] identifies the following types of projects:
1) research, where the leading research activity is based on the
selection of a particular problem and a particular plan; 2)
creative projects do not provide a clear plan, but only focus on
the image of the final product (film, newspaper, event,
presentation, etc.); 3) role — the activity is implemented in
accordance with the defined roles and the selected plot; 4)
information, involving the collection, analysis and
systematization of data on the subject of research; 5)
introductory-indicative are considered as a module of
information projects; 6) practice-oriented — their result is
determined at the beginning of the activity and takes into
account social interests. There are also individual and group
projects, depending on the number of participants who
perform the assignment.
The issue of evaluating the implementation of the
educational project is important. There are the following
indicators of the effectiveness of students’ work on the project:
1) clarity of formulation of goals and objectives; 2) quality and
depth of theoretical analysis of the problem; 3) consistent
study of statistical data; 4) the logic and feasibility of the
proposed ways to solve the problem; 5) the level of reflection
in the process of solving an individual creative assignment; 6)
the quality of the presentation of the final product [13].
The study of the impact of the project method on the
development of personal qualities of students is episodic.
However, we found a study that analyzes the effectiveness of
the project method for shaping the leader’s personality in the
student age [14]. In particular, the reasonability of using
projects to develop the ability to work in a team,
purposefulness, determination, and communication of students
was confirmed.
Thus, the analysis of theoretical literature shows the high
topicality of studying the phenomenon of leadership, features
and methods of shaping the leader’s personality in the student
environment. A promising area is the study of the possibilities
of using the project method for the development of leadership
skills in the process of obtaining higher education.
The aim of the article is to explore the possibilities of
implementing the method of individual and group projects for
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
198
Volume 19, 2022
the development of the leader’s personality in student age.
Objectives of the study:
1) find out the peculiarities of the development of leadership
skills in the student age;
2) determine the conditions for the effective use of the
project method to stimulate the leadership potential of
students;
3) analyze the quality of the impact of the project method on
the development of leadership skills in students.
2. Materials and Methods
A study was conducted to achieve the aim and fulfill the
objectives, that included the following stages:
1. Theoretical — analysis of the features of the project
method in higher education, consideration of factors and
structure of the development of leadership skills in students.
This stage provided for distinguishing the studied components
and the levels of their development. The following leadership
skills were chosen: leadership abilities, communicative and
organizational skills, motivation to success, perseverance,
endurance, general volitional self-control, emotional
intelligence. The selected components reflect the most relevant
characteristics of the modern leader and reflect the main
substructures of personality — communicative, motivational,
emotional, volitional, cognitive. The levels of the studied
components — high, medium, low — are determined. The
basis for the selection of these levels are the scales of selected
methods.
2. Planning, conducting and describing the results of the
summative assessment. The stage involved a preliminary study
of the levels of leadership skills of students. The total number
of subjects was 292 people. Students aged 19-21 took part in
the initial empirical data slice. Empirical data were collected at
Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, Lviv Polytechnic
National University, and Kharkiv National University of
Internal Affairs. The empirical data slice was made between
January and February 2021. A set of diagnostic tools was
chosen [15]:
1) Diagnostics of Leadership Skills (Ye. Zharikov, Ye.
Krushelnytskyi);
2) methods of assessing communicative and organizational
skills — COS by V.V. Siniavskyi and B.A. Fedoryshyn;
3) methods of studying the motivation for success of T.
Ehlers;
4) volitional self-control questionnaire;
5) N. Hall’s Emotional Intelligence Test.
It should be noted that we paid attention only to the general
indicator and did not evaluate individual scales in the methods
for determining self-control and development of emotional
intelligence. The indicators of the scales of the selected tests
were evaluated according to the levels that we determined.
To confirm the validity of the means used, a group of 50
people who did not participate in the main study was
previously formed. The results of the respondents were
checked through expert evaluation. Teachers and classmates of
the subjects acted as experts. In the vast majority of cases
(92%) the identity of test results and expert opinions was
recorded, which indicates the validity of the tools used. The
reliability of the methods was checked by re-testing. As a
result of this procedure, the presence of similar qualitative
levels of the studied traits in 88% of respondents was revealed.
The results indicate that the tests used meet the psychometric
requirements. 3. Planning and conducting a formative
experiment. The experimental (101 and 102 people) and
control samples (89 people) were formed from among the
participants of the summative assessment. The experimental
impact involved the implementation of the project method as
an independent variable. Accordingly, the dependent variable
determines the leadership skills of students. Individual projects
were implemented in the first experimental group, while group
projects were implemented in the second one, the project
method was not used in the control group. This approach was
chosen to determine the impact of social interaction on
leadership skills in the course of the project implementation.
The formative experiment was conducted in February – April
2021.
The topics of the projects and the plan of their
implementation were previously agreed with the teachers.
Topics were selected according to the majors of the students
— History, Foreign Language, Legal Psychology, Legal
Aspects of Social Life. Examples of selected assignments:
“The main difficulties of self-study of foreign languages”,
“Psychological features of learning English grammar”,
“Features of the discussion of historical issues on the Internet”,
“Components of the historian’s competence”, “The offender’s
image in public”, “Legal aspects of the network trolling”. So,
the projects that went beyond the curriculum and required an
active research position were selected for the study.
Implementing group projects provided for active, equal
interaction of participants in educational activities. Let us note
that due to quarantine restrictions, the interaction of project
participants was carried out through video communication
platforms (Zoom, Google Meet).
4. Repeated diagnostic data slices and analysis of the results
of the formative experiment, namely — the transformation of
the levels of the studied leadership skills. Student’s t-test was
used to identify the significance of differences.
5. Drawing general conclusions about the effectiveness of
the project method (individual and group) for the development
of leadership skills in students. Thus, the following methods
were used in the research — formative experiment,
observation, testing, statistical data processing methods. Data
processing was performed in SPSS, Version 16.
Students' prior consent was required to participate in the
study. Also, the content of the methods used does not demean
the subjects.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
199
Volume 19, 2022
3. Results
Table 1. The results of an empirical study of leadership skills of students
Leadership skills
Development levels
Low
Medium
High
%
Number of
people
%
Number of
people
%
Number of
people
Leadership abilities
29.79
87
49.32
144
20.89
61
Communicative skills
10.89
32
67.81
198
21.32
62
Organizational skills
23.63
69
57.88
169
18.49
54
Motivation for success
20.89
61
69.52
203
9.59
28
Volitional self-control
25.34
74
60.62
177
14.04
41
Emotional intelligence
17.46
51
59.25
173
23.29
68
Analyzing the results of the summative assessment (Table 1)
it was found that the vast majority (half of the respondents) of
surveyed students are characterized by medium indicators of
leadership skills. The low level of the studied component
somewhat prevails in comparison with the high one. According
to the results of this methodology, no students were prone to
dictation in the manifestations of leadership. Let us note that in
the context of the methodology, the ability to lead is
understood as the ability to confident social behavior and
productive influence on others.
The dominant part of the surveyed students has medium-
level communicative skills. The high level of parameter
prevails in comparison with a low one. In general, the
manifestations of communicative skills exceed the
manifestations of leadership abilities. That is, communication
skills do not necessarily involve the possibility of social
influence.
Organizational skills are an important condition of a
leader’s behavior, as they reflect the ability to coordinate
group interaction. The trend of dominance of the middle level
continues. At the same time, the organizational skills of the
surveyed students are less developed than the communicative
skills, which is manifested in the low ability to coordinate joint
activities.
Motivation for success is a necessary condition for the
effective leader’s influence. The dominance of the medium
values of the component was revealed in the studied sample.
High values of the parameter are insignificant. We can say that
the studied period is not characterized by a strong desire to
succeed. We explain this situation by frustration with the
chosen profession and objective difficulties that hinder the
self-realization of an individual. Lack of a clear focus on
success hinders productive manifestations of leadership skills.
Volitional self-control reflects the possibility of striving to
overcome obstacles in social interaction. The medium level of
the component dominates. Problems with volitional control
can be associated with manifestations of maximalism and
increased personal impulsiveness.
Emotional intelligence in its most general form can be
explained as the ability to understand other people, which
determines the choice of the most optimal social strategy. The
trend of the predominance of medium values continues. Low
and medium values were distributed similarly. That is, students
of the study period can quite effectively understand the
emotions of others.
Let’s analyze the results of the formative experiment.
Typical features of the implementation of educational projects
were recorded in the process of observation. In particular,
group projects were better implemented, which was reflected
in higher estimates of the final product. However, during the
group work, there were conflicts related to the distribution of
functional roles in joint work. At the same time, students who
implemented individual projects were more often encouraged
by teachers to work independently.
Let’s analyze the shifts for each studied component that
were found in the process of secondary diagnosis. The results
of the formative experiment are presented in Table 2.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
200
Volume 19, 2022
Table 2. Dynamics of levels of leadership skills of students as a result of formative experiment
Leadership skills
Development levels
Number of respondents
CG
EG 1 (individual projects)
EG 2 (group projects)
Before the
impact
After the
impact
Before the
impact
After the
impact
Before the
impact
After the
impact
%
Number of
people
%
Number of
people
%
Number of
people
%
Number of
people
%
Number of
people
%
Number of
people
Leadership abilities
Low
32.58
29
29.21
26
30.69
31
26.73
27
26.47
27
6.86
7
Medium
48.31
43
51.69
46
50.5
51
54.46
55
49.02
50
49.02
50
High
19.19
17
19.19
17
18.81
19
18.81
19
24.51
25
44.12
45
Communicative skills
Low
10.11
9
7.87
7
13.86
14
8.91
9
8.82
9
1.96
2
Medium
69.66
62
71.9
64
66.34
67
69.3
70
67.65
69
58.82
60
High
20.23
18
20.23
18
19.8
20
21.79
22
23.53
24
39.22
40
Organizational skills
Low
24.8
22
24.8
22
24.75
25
20.79
21
21.57
22
6.86
7
Medium
54.97
49
54.97
49
58.42
59
61.39
62
59.8
61
51.96
53
High
20.23
18
20.23
18
16.83
17
17.82
18
18.63
19
41.18
42
Motivation for success
Low
24.8
22
22.47
20
19.8
20
9.9
10
18.63
19
3.92
4
Medium
66.29
59
65.17
58
70.3
71
65.35
66
71.57
73
65.69
67
High
8.91
8
12.36
11
9.9
10
24.75
25
9.8
10
30.39
31
Volitio
nal
self-
control
Low
29.21
26
28.09
25
23.76
24
23.76
24
23.53
24
24.5
25
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
201
Volume 19, 2022
Medium
58.43
52
59.55
53
61.37
62
56.44
57
61.76
63
58.82
60
High
12.36
11
12.36
11
14.87
15
19.8
20
14.71
15
16.68
17
Emotional intelligence
Low
26.97
24
26.97
24
13.86
14
13.86
14
12.76
13
2.94
3
Medium
56.18
50
56.18
50
62.38
63
60.4
61
62.75
64
58.82
60
High
16.85
19
16.85
19
23.76
24
25.74
26
24.49
25
38.24
39
The control group did not show significant changes on the
component of leadership skills. The number of people with a
high level has not changed at all. Medium and low levels of
leadership skills have changed insignificantly — by 3.3%. No
significant changes were found in the experimental group,
where individual projects were implemented. The high level of
the component did not change after the formative impact. The
medium values increased in four students, that is by 3.96%.
Accordingly, the low level also changed to a similar
percentage. In the second experimental group, where the
method of group projects was implemented, more significant
changes in the level of leadership skills were revealed. The
low level of the component decreased by 19.61%. The medium
level remained stable, but its qualitative distribution changed.
The high level of leadership skills, respectively, increased in
19.61% of students. That is, the method of group educational
projects turned out to be the most effective for the
development of leadership skills, which is explained by the
need for intensive social interaction when completing
educational assignments.
In the control group, low and medium levels of
communicative skills changed in two respondents after the
experiment (by 2.24%). The high level of the component
remained unchanged. In the first experimental group, the
number of students with a low level of communicative skills
decreased by 4.95%, the number of people with a medium
level increased by 2.9%, and the high level changed by 1.9%.
That is, the implementation of individual training projects does
not significantly affect the development of communication
skills. In the sample where group training projects were
implemented, the indicators of low level of communicative
skills decreased by 6.9%, and the medium — by 8.83%. At the
same time, the percentage of people with a high level of the
studied component increased by 15.79%. That is, the method
of group projects is effective for the development of the
communicative skills of students.
The results of the analysis of the dynamics of organizational
skills indicate the absence of qualitative changes in the control
group. Secondary diagnostics revealed the stability of the
primary empirical data slice. In the first experimental sample,
the low level changed in four individuals (by 3.96%). The
medium level of organizational skills increased in three people
(by 2.97%), and high rates increased in one student. That is,
the method of individual projects has shown little effect on the
individual’s ability to social organization. In the second
experimental group, the percentage of people with a low level
of this quality changed by 14.71%%. The medium level
decreased in eight subjects (by 84%). The high level increased
to 22.55% of students. The effectiveness of the impact of
group projects on the development of organizational skills can
be explained by the specifics of their implementation, which
requires high coordination of efforts and productive
distribution of roles.
The low level of motivation for success in the control group
changed in two people — by 2.33%. Changes in the average
level in one subject were recorded. The high level increased in
three people — by 3.45%. That is, the changes found in the
control group are insignificant. When using individual
projects, the low level of motivation for success decreased in
9.9% of students. The medium level of the studied component
changed by 4.95%. High rates of motivation for success
increased by 14.85% after the formative impact. The second
experimental group revealed the following trends: the low
level of the studied component changed by 14.71%, and the
average level decreased by 5.88%. The number of people with
high indicators increased significantly - by 20.59% of
respondents. Thus, the implementation of group projects has a
positive effect on the motivation for success in student age.
This situation can be explained by the positive impact of social
competition and the focus on positive self-presentation in
society.
Indicators of volitional self-control in the control group
almost did not change: the high level remained stable, and the
shift of medium and low values was recorded in only one
person. In the first experimental group, the low level of the
component remained constant (found in 23.76% of students).
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
202
Volume 19, 2022
Medium and high levels of symptoms were transformed in five
respondents, that is 4.93% of subjects. In the second
experimental group, low values of volitional self-control
decreased in one person, medium — in three people, and high
values increased in two respondents. The percentage
differences in the detected changes are 0.97%, 3.24% and
1.97%, respectively. That is, there was no significant positive
dynamics of self-control indicators in all three samples. This
situation may be caused by the lack of complexity and control
of the proposed form of work.
Indicators of emotional intelligence in the control group did
not change after the psychological and pedagogical
experiment. In the experimental group, where individual
projects were implemented, the number of subjects with low
components did not change. Medium and high levels of
emotional intelligence were transformed in two respondents. In
the second experimental group, the changes in the studied
component are more significant. The low level decreased in
9.82% of students. The medium level changed in four subjects
(3.93%). High levels of emotional intelligence increased
significantly in 13.95% of respondents. Thus, the method of
group projects is effective for developing the ability to
understand other people in the student age.
The Student’s t-test for dependent samples was used to
confirm the hypothesis about the effectiveness of using the
method of individual and group projects for the development
of leadership skills in students. It should be noted that the use
of this statistical tool was justified by the fact that the studied
statistical series are dominated by averages. That is, the trends
of the array of the studied data correspond to the normal
distribution, which gives grounds for the use of the parametric
criterion of significance. With this in mind, Student’s t-test
was chosen for the dependent samples, which allows
determining the relevance of the difference between the results
of primary and secondary diagnostics.
The results of the analysis are presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Indicators of Student’s t-test of leadership skills
Components of leadership skills
Student’s t-test
Control group
Experimental
group 1
Experimental
group 2
Leadership abilities
1.01
1.37
2.21*
Communicative skills
0.91
0.93
2.35*
Organizational skills
0.23
1.46
2.45*
Motivation for success
0.88
2.03*
2.12*
Volitional self-control
0.67
0.56
1.13
Emotional intelligence
0.94
1.02
2.53*
The coefficients marked with an asterisk reflect the
significance of the differences at the level of p=0.05, and the
coefficients with two asterisks show the significance of the
differences at the level of p=0.01.
All the studied parameters in the control group, namely —
leadership skills, communication and organizational skills,
motivation for success, volitional self-control, emotional
intelligence — have not undergone significant changes. This
conclusion is confirmed by the relevant coefficients.
In the experimental group, where individual projects were
implemented, significant changes were detected only in the
component of motivation for success. The analysis of
indicators of other studied structures gives the grounds to state
lack of efficiency of application of individual projects for the
development of the leader’s personality.
In the experimental group, where the method of group
projects was implemented, significant differences were not
found only in the parameter of volitional self-control. The
analysis also showed the effectiveness of the chosen method
for the development of leadership skills, communication and
organizational skills, motivation for success, and emotional
intelligence. The significance of all identified differences in
leadership skills is at the level of p=0.05. Such results open
opportunities for optimization of the used formative programs.
Thus, statistical data processing confirms the effectiveness of
using the method of group educational projects for the
development of leadership skills in students. At the same time,
the implementation of individual projects did not demonstrate
significant effectiveness.
4. Discussions
The summative assessment revealed the predominance of
average indicators of leadership abilities and the lack of
propensity to dictate in the surveyed students. It is interesting
that by studying engineering students, researchers have
concluded that the relevance of flexible leadership skills is
gradually declining and that rigid behaviours are becoming
more important [16]. The differences in the results can be
explained by socio-cultural conditions and the specifics of the
major of students.
The dominance of the average indicators of the studied
parameters of student leadership opens up opportunities for
both development and their regression, depending on the
peculiarities of the organization of the pedagogical process. In
general, modern students are characterized by a tendency of
insufficient development of leadership skills, which is
confirmed by the results of a study of students of economic
universities [17].
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
203
Volume 19, 2022
In the mentioned scientific research, the level of leadership
skills in students is determined by the following criteria: 1)
personal (erudition, activity, determination, confidence); 2)
professional and managerial (persistence, independence,
initiative, organization, diligence, creativity); 3) command-
leadership (sociability, ability to persuade, emotional
attractiveness, self-control, ability to positive group influence).
These criteria can serve as guidelines for expanding and
deepening further research on the problem.
Other researchers have also confirmed the effectiveness of
the project method in the formation of leadership qualities [18,
19]. There is also a relationship between academic
performance and student management of educational projects
[20]. In this context, it is worth noting that leadership
relationships provide for four basic elements: influence-based
interaction, the subjects of interactions, the desire for real
change, the focus on common goals [21]. Note that researchers
emphasize the socio-psychological problems in the
implementation of project-based learning, in particular the lack
of clear rules for interpersonal interaction [22].
Leading qualities of modern student leaders are the ability
to stimulate the strengths of the environment to achieve the
goal, adequate assessment of emotions, management of their
own emotional sphere, empathy, motivation, social skills,
ability to prioritize and delegate [23]. Such considerations
confirm the reasonability of the leadership skills chosen for
our study. The importance of emotional intelligence for
effective leadership corresponds to the conclusions about the
need for empathy in the activities of student leaders [24].
The positive influence of the project method on the success
of students' learning in the study of chemical science [25],
ecology [26], biology [27], in the field of teacher training [28]
and engineers [29]. There is a positive impact on the
motivation of students [30]. These scientific researches testify
to the positive influence of the project method on the academic
success and personal development of students, which is
confirmed by the results of our research.
In the context of our work, the study of the peculiarities of
the development of leadership skills in students in the use of
information technology is worth noting [31]. Such researches
are topical because they will help optimize the implementation
of remote developmental influence in the context of quarantine
restrictions.
The analysis of statistical data gives grounds to assert that
the use of the group project method for the development of
leadership skills needs further optimization. In particular, it is
advisable to pay attention to the reorganization of social
interaction when completing assignments. The activities in
project groups may involve the division into subgroups, where
a certain part of the participants act as critics and objectively
analyze the quality of the product [32]. This approach will
update the competitive aspect of social interaction and
stimulate the development of leadership skills in students.
The basic conditions for the development of leadership
skills in students are worth noting: 1) ensuring a variety of
activities; 2) development of effective student self-
government; 3) ensuring the stimulating role of learning; 4)
development of student body; 5) teacher’s productive
influence on group processes [18]. In exercising the formative
influence, we tried to comply with these requirements, but a
promising vector is the integration of educational projects with
the activities of student self-government. It is also necessary to
take into account the relationship of leadership with the
specifics of vocational training of students [33].
Optimization of research problems involves changing the
subject — from leadership skills to leadership competence. At
the same time, the concept of leadership competence of
students is explained as a component of professional
competence, which involves the ability to achieve the goals
and objectives of leadership, the availability of relevant
knowledge, emotional attitude and value structure [34].
Thus, the obtained results confirm the effectiveness of the
method of group projects for the formation of leadership
qualities of students. This trend can be attributed to the high
intensity of social interaction in the form of work used. The
individual form of project activity has a minimal impact on
leadership qualities, as it does not involve strong
communication. The dominance of average leadership
indicators among students can be explained by the lack of
purposeful pedagogical work aimed at the development of the
phenomenon under study. The results of the analysis of
theoretical sources open opportunities for improvement of
formative activity
5. Limitations
Note that the implementation of group projects took place
through networking, which also affected the results. Further, it
is necessary to explore the features of the impact of project
activities on leadership qualities in the context of direct
communication.
6. Conclusions
Improving the effectiveness of the development of
leadership skills in students depends on the reasonable use of
methodological tools, where the method of projects is
especially relevant, which involves active independent
activities of students and the focus on product creation.
Usually, the influence of project methods on the success of
students’ learning activities is studied, while the importance of
using projects for personality development, in particular,
leadership skills is insufficiently studied.
The summative assessment revealed the dominance of the
medium level of the studied parameters. The least developed
leadership skills are motivation for success and volitional self-
control, which can be explained both by the peculiarities of
age development and the unfavorable social situation of
development. The method of group projects has shown
effectiveness in the development of leadership skills on all
criteria, except volitional self-control. Individual project
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
204
Volume 19, 2022
technique is effective only in developing the motivation for
success. It can be stated that the key factor in the development
of leadership skills of students in the course of project
implementation is the structure of social interaction. With this
in mind, the main areas of improvement of group projects are
conflict prevention, complication of educational material,
discussion of the end result, taking into account the
relationship of activities with the specifics of professional
training, and effective management position of the teacher. It
is reasonable to use the obtained data in practice of higher
educational institutions in the context of the development of
leadership skills in students and improvement of a project
method implementation. Further prospects for studying the
issue include studying the leadership competence of students
and finding the correlation of leadership skills with the
structural components of personality.
7. Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interests.
References
[1] V. P. Moroz, “Leadership as a scientific issue,” Bull
Luhansk Nat Univ n. a. Taras Shevchenko. Ser: Pedagog
Sci, vol. 1, no. 324/1, 99-110, 2019.
[2] Z. Antonova, “Psychological features of leadership and
management,” Pedagog Psychol Prof Educ, vol. 4, pp.
120-127, 2016.
[3] K. W. Bohl, “Leadership as phenomenon: reassessing the
philosophical ground of leadership studies,” Philos
Manag, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 273-292, 2019.
[4] S. Kjellström, O. Törnblom, K. Stalne and W. Hung-Che,
A dialogue map of leader and leadership development
methods: A communication tool,” Cogent Bus Manag,
vol. 7, no. 1, Art. 1717051, 2020.
[5] R.-T. By, “Leadership: In pursuit of purpose,” J Change
Manag, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 30-44, 2021.
[6] N. Eva, M. Robin, S. Sendjaya, D.van Dierendonck and
R. C. Liden, “Servant leadership: A systematic review
and call for future research,” Leadersh Q, vol. 30, no. 1,
pp. 111–132, 2019.
[7] B. Zafar, M. Tharwani and S. Saher, “Determinants of
student leadership development: a case study,” Int J Res
Analit Rev, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 301-309, 2020.
[8] J. Mistele, S. N. Baker and S. Strout, (2019). “Student
motivation for elites: A STEM leadership program,” J
Leadersh Educ, vol. 18, no. 4, (Ahead of print) [Online].
Available: https://doi.org/10.12806/V18/I4/R1
[9] C. H. Chen and Y.-C. Yang, “Revisiting the effects of
project-based learning on students’ academic
achievement: A meta-analysis investigating moderators,”
Educ Res Rev, vol. 26, pp. 71-81, 2019.
[10] J. S. Krajcik and N. Shin, “Project-based learning,” In R.
K. Sawyer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of the
Learning Sciences, 2nd edition. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press, 2014, pp. 275-297.
[11] N. Guo, N. Saab, L. S. Post and W. Admiraal, “A review
of project-based learning in higher education: Student
outcomes and measures,” Int J Educ Res, vol. 102, pp. 1-
13, 2020.
[12] O. M. Tadeush, “Project method as a form of productive
teaching,” Sci Bull Nat Pedagog Dragomanov Univ. Ser
16: Creat Pers Teach: Theor Pract Iss, vol. 29, pp. 142-
146, 2017.
[13] S. Balashova and N. Holovko, “Projective technology as
a means of training future specialists,” Soc Work Soc
Educ, vol. 4, pp, 78-82, 2020.
[14] K. Cain and S. Cocco, “Leadership development through
project based learning,” Proc CEEA, vol. 13, Art. 126,
2013.
[15] O. M. Kokun, I. O. Pishko, N. S. Lozinska, O. V.
Kopanytsia, M. V., Herasymenk, and V. V. Tkachenko,
Collection of Methods of Diagnostics of Leadership
Qualities of Cadet, Sergeant and Officer Staff:
Methodical Manual. Kyiv: Research Center for
Humanitarian Problems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
2012.
[16] J. Daley and B. Baruah, “Leadership skills development
among engineering students in Higher Education – an
analysis of the Russell Group universities in the UK,”
Eur J Eng Educ, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 528-556, 2020.
[17] V. V. Karmanenko, “Pedagogical conditions for forming
leadership skills of the economic university students,”
PhD thesis, Poltava Nat Pedagog Univ n. a. V. H.
Korolenko, Poltava; Uman State Pedagog Univ n. a.
Pavlo Tychyna, Uman, 2019.
[18] N. Lucas and F. Goodman, “Well-being, leadership, and
positive organizational scholarship: A case study of
project-based learning in higher education,” J Leadersh
Educ, vol. 14, no, 4, pp. 138–152, 2015.
[19] G. E. Okudan and S. E. Rzasa, “A project-based
approach to entrepreneurial leadership education,”
Technovat, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 195–210, 2006.
[20] A. S. Torres, V. Sriraman and A. M. Ortiz,
“Implementing project based learning pedagogy in
concrete industry project management,” Int J Constr
Educ Res, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 62–79, 2019.
[21] R. Rosari, “Leadership definitions applications for
lecturers’ leadership development,” J Leadersh Organ,
vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 17–28, 2019.
[22] R. P. Raycheva, D. I. Angelova and P. M. Vodenova,
“Project-based learning in engineering design in
Bulgaria: Expectations, experiments and results,” Eur J
Eng Educ, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 944–961, 2017.
[23] F. S. Andreu, K. M., Sweet, and D. H Carter, “Building
leadership skills through high-impact experiences,” J
Leadersh Educ, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 134-146, 2020.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
205
Volume 19, 2022
[24] S. Holt, J. Marques, J. Hu and A. Wood, “Cultivating
empathy: New perspectives on educating business
leaders,” J Values-Based Leadersh, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1-
25, 2017.
[25] M. Barak and Y. J. Dori, “Enhancing undergraduate
students’ chemistry understanding through project-based
learning in an IT environment,” Sci Educ, vol. 89, no. 1,
pp. 117–139, 2005.
[26] M. Genc, “The project-based learning approach in
environmental education,” Int Res Geogr Environ Educ,
vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 105–117, 2015.
[27] D. Costa-Silva, J. A. Côrtes, R. F. Bachinski, C. N.
Spiegel, and G. G. Alves, “Teaching cell biology to
dental students with a project-based learning approach,”
J Dent Educ, vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 322–331, 2018.
[28] M. Biasutti, and H. EL-Deghaidy,“Interdisciplinary
project-based learning: An online wiki experience in
teacher education,” Technol Pedagog Educ, vol. 24, no.
3, pp. 339–355, 2015.
[29] A. Yadav, G. M. Shaver and P. Meckl, “Lessons learned:
Implementing the case teaching method in a mechanical
engineering course,” J Eng Educ, vol. 99, no. 1, pp. 55–
64, 2010.
[30] M. Belagra and B. Draoui,“Project-based learning and
information and communication technology’s
integration: Impacts on motivation,” Int J Electr Eng
Educ, vol. 55, no. 4, pp. 293–312, 2018.
[31] S. D. Göker, (2019). Student leadership. [Online].
Available: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/70474
[32] S. Ivanova, L. Dimitrov, I. Ivanov and G. Naleva, “The
performance of project teams selected based on student
personality types: a longitudinal study,” Adv Sci Technol
Eng Syst J, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 1128-1136, 2021.
[33] S. Hill, “Seeing anew: the role of student leadership in
professional learning,” Prof Dev Educ, vol. 46, pp. 63-
579, 2020.
[34] O. I. Kazakevich, “Leadership competence of future
marketing specialists as a modern interdisciplinary
phenomenon,” Innov Pedagog, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 90-94,
2020.
Contribution of Individual Authors to the Creation of a
Scientific Article (Ghostwriting Policy)
All authors contributed equally to the creation of the given
scientific article.
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (Attribution
4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)
This article is published under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_US
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ADVANCES in ENGINEERING EDUCATION
DOI: 10.37394/232010.2022.19.22
Valentyna O. Tyurina, Hanna Y. Shevchuk,
Yuliya D. Kriukova, Mykola M. Lukashchuk,
Viktoriia M. Savishchenko
E-ISSN: 2224-3410
206
Volume 19, 2022
