Contemporary education is evolving to be more experience-centered and activity-centered. In that sense, youth group activities are important educational and social activities to achieve such educational goals. Nevertheless, youth group activities are ...
Contemporary education is evolving to be more experience-centered and activity-centered. In that sense, youth group activities are important educational and social activities to achieve such educational goals. Nevertheless, youth group activities are in the tendency of decreasing. In this situation, the present purposed to contribute the development of youth leaders' leadership, which is an essential element in youth activities, and the improvement of the direction of leadership and to promote the activation of youth group activities.
The present study reviewed theoretical background related to the individual characteristics of leaders and youths, the relationship between members' satisfaction and the effectiveness of youth group activities, youth leaders' leadership, the relationship between leadership and members' satisfaction, the relationship between leadership and the effectiveness of youth group activities and the relationship between members' satisfaction and the effectiveness of youth group activities.
In order to identify relevant variables, this study took the individual characteristics of youths and leaders and three types of leadership of youth leaders as independent variables, and members' satisfaction with programs as a parameter. In addition, this study formulated a research model an the assumption that youth leaders' leadership type and members' satisfaction with programs will affect youth group activities, which is the dependent variable.
This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 2200 subjects including supervising teachers and elementary and secondary students belonging to elementary or middle school youth groups in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. According to the result of analyzing data collected from the survey, first, members' satisfaction and the effectiveness of youth group activities were affected by the individual characteristics of youths and youth leaders.
Second, members' satisfaction with programs and the effectiveness of youth group activities were affected by the leadership type of youth leaders. That is, when members' satisfaction with programs was high, youth group activities were more effective. The result suggests the importance of youth leaders' leadership in enhancing members' satisfaction with activity programs and achieving the goals of the activities. In addition, it means that youth group activities may achieve the goals and produce outcomes when youth leaders and youth members interact and share the sense of purpose with each other.
In conclusion, this study implies that youth leaders' leadership and youth members' satisfaction are important factors for the effectiveness of youth group activities and that youth leaders' leadership should be developed, aiming at integrated leadership. Furthermore, this study suggests that there should be various measures and supports for the development of youth leaders' leadership in order to recognize the effectiveness of school youth group activities and activate the activities.