Academic self-concept as a mediator of the relationship between gender and self-reported leadership ability

One of the most frequently reported student learning outcomes on college campuses is leadership ability. Thus, identifying the factors associated with leadership development is an important area for research. Previous studies have found mixed results in the relationship between gender and leadership perceptions. The current study proposes that academic self-concept intervenes in the relationship between gender and leadership, and helps to explain these earlier mixed findings. In a study of 597 undergraduate students from a private west coast university, we found that academic self-concept fully mediated the relationship between gender and self-reported leadership ability. Implications for research and practice are discussed