Abstract
This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examined the role of intentional leadership instruction in addressing persistent challenges in Project-Based Learning (PBL) group dynamics within a middle school setting. The Problem of Practice centered on students’ inconsistent demonstration of leadership behaviors, including communication and accountability, which limited the effectiveness of group work despite prior exposure to PBL structures. This study was conducted at a university-affiliated public charter school in East Texas, where PBL serves as a core instructional model.
Guided by an Improvement Science framework and structured through a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, this study employed a mixed-methods embedded design to evaluate baseline conditions and examine the impact of a targeted leadership intervention. The intervention was implemented through an eighth-grade leadership course integrating the Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC)/Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Student Leadership Course curriculum and Leader in Me (LIM) principles. Quantitative data were collected using a Combined Leadership Survey and PBL self- and peer-evaluation instruments, while qualitative data were gathered through open-ended student reflections.
Findings suggest that students demonstrated measurable growth in leadership awareness and self-reported leadership behaviors across multiple domains. However, changes in peer-reported collaboration and overall group dynamics were more limited, indicating a gap between leadership skill acquisition and consistent application within group settings. These results highlight the complexity of translating individual skill development into collective group performance and suggest the need for sustained system-level supports to reinforce leadership behaviors within PBL environments.
This study contributes to the field by reframing PBL collaboration challenges as system-level issues rather than individual student deficits and underscores the importance of embedding intentional leadership development within instructional design to support continuous improvement in collaborative learning contexts
Date of publication
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5121
Committee members
Dr. Michael Odell, Dr. Christopher L. Thomas, and Dr. Brandon Bretl
Degree
Doctor of Education in School Improvement
Recommended Citation
Burke Hicks, Jaime W., "THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS ON PBL GROUP DYNAMICS" (2026). Education Theses and Dissertations. Paper 47.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5121
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Holistic Education Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Other Communication Commons, Other Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons