Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1976

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agriculture and Extension Education

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter

Committee Members

Ben J. Powell & Robert S. Dotson

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the role perceptions of teen leaders and to identify some factors which influenced their role performance.

The population of the study consisted of all 453 4-H members who attended the 1975 State 4-H Round-Up at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

The data were organized under five major headings: (1) personal characteristics of respondents, (2) perceptions teen leaders had of their role in the 4-H organization, (3) relation between teen leaders' role performance and their feelings of preparedness to perform the leadership role, (4) influence of personal, 4-H participation, and leadership characteristics of teen leaders on their role perceptions, and, (5) influence of personal, 4-H participation, and leadership characteristics of teen leaders on their role performance.

The statistical test used for analysis of data was the analysis of variance F test. The F values which attained the .05 level were accepted as being statistically significant.

Major findings of this study were:

1. Teen leaders did not perceive the role of junior leaders and that of teen leaders to be significantly different.

2. Teen leaders felt prepared to perform significantly more leadership task than they had actually performed.

3. Teen leader's perceptions of who should perform leadership tasks were significantly influenced by their sex, number of clubs other than 4-H to which they belonged, attendance at junior and/or junior high 4-H meetings and plans to continue service as a 4-H leader.

4. Teen leaders who were older, were in higher grades, or belonged to a larger number of clubs performed significantly more tasks than those who were younger, were in lower grades, and belonged to fewer clubs.

5. Teen leaders who had been enrolled in 4-H a longer period of time, had served as officers, had attended more state and national events, or had belonged to the Honor Club and All Star organization performed significantly different more tasks than those with opposite 4-H participation characteristics.

6. Teen leaders who had been enrolled in the 4-H leadership project longer, had attended more leader training meetings this year, had attended junior and junior high club meetings, had worked with both junior and adult leaders, or had planned to continue as 4-H leaders performed significantly more tasks than those respondents with opposite 4-H leadership characteristics.

Role perceptions of teen leaders were not significantly related to their personal characteristics of age, grade in school, place of residence, or number of brothers and sisters; to 4-H participation characteristics of number of years enrolled in 4-H, service as an officer, number of state and national events attended, membership in the Honor Club, or membership in the All Star organization; or to leadership characteristics of number of years served as a junior or teen leader, number of leader training meetings attended this year, work with adult leaders, or work with junior leaders.

Implications and recommendations also were included.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS