Being a college student leader boosts career prospects: a panel survey in China

Abstract

PurposeThe authors explored the effect of college student leader experience on students' employment prospects, such as their starting salary. The authors also examined the factors behind being a student leader and the set of skills that foster the effect of leadership experience.Design/methodology/approachUsing an empirical panel survey, the authors collected data from 3,361 undergraduate students over five consecutive years in China, which were analysed using different econometric methods.FindingsThe starting salary premium associated with student leaders' experiences was approximately 7%. Individual learning, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills were mediating variables that replaced half of the wage premium effect of the student leader. Family background and types of educational experiences were associated with being a student leader and labour market outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors only explored a few leadership-related employability skills; other relevant skills require consideration.Practical implicationsThis study informs students, parents, and higher education institutions (HEIs) by clarifying the importance of leadership development. An effective transition from higher education to the labour market should be emphasised.Social implicationsHigher education educators should provide guidance to student organisations and promote formal and informal student leadership education to all students.Originality/valueThe authors revealed some factors that promote student leadership and how they are associated with labour market outcomes in China. The authors also verified and validated the capital improvement channel for some specific leadership-related skills to explain the effect of student leader experience on employment outcomes.

The Role of Leadership in Promoting Student Centred Teaching and Facilitating Learner’s Responsible Behaviour

“…There have been studies published on the role of a student leader or the qualities that a student leader should have to be able to lead and influence a group. Also, colleges and universities emphasize on the need for developing students as leaders, Cui et al (2022), Kim et al (2020). Skalicky et al (2020) Universities and colleges are adding the concept of leadership and other relevant skills for quality education in their assessments.…”

“…Secondly, the role of a student as a leader and how they can cooperate with the teacher leader to utilise students' maximum potential, and for their continuous development. The main sources of these perspectives are Ainscow and Mission (2018), Alvarez-Bell et al (2017), Am Eliana (2017), Cocco et al (2019), Crookes et al (2013), Cui et al (2022); Elk hider (2016), Lee et al (2020), Murphy et al (2020), Murphy et al (2021), Ozan and Yildirim (2022), Scherzinger, Sriharan et al (2022), Tucker et al (2022), Warr Pedersen et al (2020), Wet Stein (2019.…”

Integrating Micro Project-Based Learning to Improve Conceptual Understanding and Crucial Learning Skills in Chemistry

“…The purpose of education is to cultivate students with a distinct sense of social responsibility, a sound personality, the spirit of innovation, the desire and ability for lifelong learning, good information literacy, etc., so that the new generations will have the skills necessary to adapt to the social, scientific and technological and economic development of the 21 st century (Care, et al, 2017;Friesen & Anderson, 2004;Luo, et al, 2021;Walsh et al, 2022). However, in China, upper-secondary schools, teachers, parents, and students are still biased toward the pursuit of academic excellence and somewhat neglect the development of these learning skills (Cui et al, 2022;Xu & Liu, 2010). Being aware of such inadequacies, innovative pedagogical approaches, such as project-based learning (PBL), which foster competencies required in the 21 st century, are suggested (Desnelita et al, 2021;Fiore et al, 2018).…”