Leadership Characteristics of Adult Educators

The purpose of this study was to assess self-perceived leadership behaviors and related leadership styles practiced in a sample of adult educators. Adopting transformational leadership theory embodied in the Full Range of Leadership Model the leadership characteristics of adult educators were examined using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Form 5x (Bass & Avolio, 2000). The possibility of significant differences between respondent gender, age, and their preferred leadership style was also explored. The entire membership (n = 199) of a regional professional association of adult educators was sent a mailed questionnaire. A total of 124 surveys were returned representing a 63 % response rate. Results showed that transformational leadership was greater than the mean for transactional leadership which in turn was greater than the mean for laissez-faire leadership. An examination of gender differences in leadership profiles showed that females tended to be more transformational whereas males reported higher transactional scores. The laissez-faire leadership style tended to be higher for females but of the three leadership types only transactional produced a significant gender difference. No statistical significant difference was found with leadership and age. The findings are discussed for their implications for professional development and the future leadership of the adult education field