Empowering Future Leaders: Evaluating the Impact of a Leadership Enhancement Program on Female Students' Communication, Strategic Thinking, Problem-Solving and Team Collaboration Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55074/hesj.vi47.1463Keywords:
Leadership Enhancement Program, female leadership development, communication skills, strategic thinking, problem-solving, team collaboration, experiential learningAbstract
Developing leadership skills in female students is essential for preparing them to excel in the 21th century professional settings. This study aims at evaluating the impact of a suggested program titled ‘‘the Leadership Enhancement Program (LEP)” on improving communication, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and team collaboration skills among first-level students at the Applied College, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU), Saudi Arabia. Implemented as a part of the Administrative Communications Course, the program was designed to foster essential leadership competencies through interactive and experiential learning methods. A total of 100 female students participated in the LEP, which incorporated workshops, role-play activities, project-based learning, collaborative exercises, and the integration of technology to enhance communication. Additionally, reflective journals and focus groups were used to assess students' progress and gather qualitative insights into their learning experiences. The program aimed to provide a structured yet dynamic environment for students to develop critical leadership attributes, particularly in decision-making and teamwork. Findings of the study indicate that students exhibited notable improvements in their leadership-related skills, particularly in their ability to communicate effectively, think strategically, solve problems efficiently, and collaborate within teams. Participants also reported increased confidence in their leadership capabilities, highlighting the effectiveness of experiential learning in leadership development. These results underscore the significance of structured leadership programs within academic curricula to better equip students for future challenges.Downloads
References
Adelakun, A., Miller, C. L., Peterson, H., & Manderfeld, M. (2024). Fostering assertiveness through role-play gaming case study. Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, 16(1), 89-106.
Al Ajmi, H. R. (2024). Principals' Leadership Skills to Meet the National Strategy for Education in Basic Schools. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 11(2), 413-421.
AlFryan, L. H., Shomo, M. I., & Bani, I. A. (2024). Assessment of the ‘students’ perceptions of education using Dundee Ready Environment Educational Measure (DREEM) inventory at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia. BMC Medical Education, 24(1), 928.
Albaroudi, H. B., & Iqbal, S. (2024). Role of leadership styles in connecting quality culture and university performance: a higher education perspective from Saudi Arabia. The TQM Journal.
Aldosari, M. S. (2024). The role of Saudi women in advancing environmental sustainability: a case study of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 17(1), 127-146.
Aldosemani, T. I., Shepherd, C. E., & Bolliger, D. U. (2024). Saudi female students’ perceptions of the Community of Inquiry in online learning environments. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1-13.
Ali, M., Alsreaya, A., Alqarzi, A., Alzahrani, Y., Alhomood, I., Alruhaimi, A.,.. & Bajawi, A. (2024). Exploring the effectiveness of pharmacy curriculum in Saudi Arabia in developing leadership skills among pharmacy students from their perspective: A mixed-methods study. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 32(4), 101995.
Alilyyani, B., Althobaiti, E., Al-Talhi, M., Almalki, T., Alharthy, T., Alnefaie, M., ... & Abuzaid, A. (2024). Nursing experience and leadership skills among staff nurses and intern nursing students in Saudi Arabia: a mixed methods study. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 87.
Al-Kahlan, T. B. S., & Khasawneh, M. A. S. (2024). The Degree To Which Secondary School Principals Practice Effective Communication Skills And Their Relationship To The Level Of Motivation Of Teachers Towards Work In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. Migration Letters, 21(S3), 77-94. Retrieved from https://migrationletters.com/index.php/ml/article/view/6735
Alotaibi, N. H., Dasuki, S., & Zamani, E. D. (2025). M-government and Saudi women’s empowerment: a capability approach perspective. Information Technology for Development, 1-24.
Alshammari, S. (2024). Making the invisible visible: the lived experiences of female nurse managers in the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia pre-and post-promulgation of Vision 2030: an interpretative phenomenological analysis (Doctoral dissertation, Cardiff University).
Alshibani, S. M., Shabir, S., & Albishri, N. (2024). Women Entrepreneur’s Perspective towards Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the Apparel Sector of Saudi Arabia. Sustainability, 16(19), 8636.
Al-Tamimi, Y. A. (2025). English Communicative Competence in Saudi Workplace: Overcoming Barriers and Leveraging Opportunities. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 12(1), 58-82.
Alwhaibi, R. M., Alotaibi, M. S., Almutairi, S. F., Alkhudhayr, J. E., Alanazi, R. F., Al Jamil, H. F., & Aygun, Y. (2024). Exploring the Relationship Between Video Game Engagement and Creative Thinking in Academic Environments: Cross-Sectional Study. Sustainability, 16(20), 9104.
Beckmann, E. A., & Mahanty, S. (2016). The evolution and evaluation of an online role play through design-based research. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 32(5).
Elhadary, Y., & Abdelatti, H. (2024). Gender Equality at Public Universities in Saudi Arabia: Achievements and Ambitions. (2024). Journal of Educational and Social Research, 14(4), 40. https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2024-0084
Farghaly Abdelaliem, S. M., Al-Mugheed, K., Alzoubi, M. M., Al-Oweidat, I., & Hamouda, G. M. (2025). The effect of nursing shared governance educational program on nurse managers’ knowledge for sustainable nursing excellence and empowerment. PloS one, 20(2), e0307798.
Funk MA, S. (2021). Examining The Implications Of Tabletop Roleplaying Games For Use In Leadership Development: An Integrative Review. All Student Scholarship. 413.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/etd/413
Ghamrawi, N., Ghamrawi, N. A., & Alshaer, A. (2024). Academic middle leadership: An exploration of Arab women's professional identities in higher education. Management in Education, 08920206241234769.
Hussein, M. G. (2024). Exploring the Significance of Soft Skills in Enhancing Employability of Taif University Postgraduates: An Analysis of Relevant Variables. SAGE Open, 14(3), 21582440241271941.
Jenkins, D. M. (2013). Exploring instructional strategies in student leadership development programming. Journal of Leadership Studies, 6(4), 48-62.
Jones, A. (2019). The Role of Team Leadership on Critical Thinking Skills: A Case Study of Business Major Students Using a Role-Play Simulation at the American University in The United Arab Emirates (UAE). International Journal of Development Research, 9(07), 29097-29100.
Khasawneh, M. A. S. (2024). The Impact of Self-Regulation-Based Strategies in Improving Learning Scientific Concepts Among Students with Learning Disabilities in the Intermediate Stage. International Journal of Special Education, 39(2), 51-61.
Khasawneh, Y. J., Alwaely, S. A., Saleem Khasawneh, M. A., Alkhasawneh, T., & Mahmoud Al-Barakat, G. A. (2024). Administrative Communications and its Impact on Increasing the Effectiveness of Managerial Decisions Among Secondary School Principals. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research (EJER), 111 (2024) 108-121. DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2024.111.07
Kilgour, P., Reynaud, D., Northcote, M. T., & Shields, M. (2015). Role-playing as a tool to facilitate learning, self-reflection and social awareness in teacher education. International Journal of Innovative Interdisciplinary Research, 2(4), 8-20.
Ma, Z. F. (2020). Role play as a teaching method to improve student learning experience of a bachelor degree programme in a transnational context: an action research study. Compass: Journal of Learning and Teaching, 13(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.21100/compass.v13i1.1035
Mashaly, N. A. H. (2024). Legal Empowerment of Women and Its Relation to Achieving Social Balance in Port Said Governorate. Journal of Sustainable Development in Social and Environmental Sciences, 3(2).
May, D., Wold, K., & Moore, S. (2015). Using interactive online role-playing simulations to develop global competency and to prepare engineering students for a globalised world. European Journal of Engineering Education, 40(5), 522-545.
Moyo, T., Al-Otaibi, A., & Chigara, B. (2024). Engendering project management competencies in Saudi Arabian construction professionals. Journal of Facilities Management.
Munin, N., & Efron, Y. (2017). Role-playing brings theory to life in a multicultural learning environment. Journal of Legal Education, 66(2), 309-331.
Shaalan, D. (2024). Case Study of Innovative Second Language Learning Activities for Saudi Women Undergraduates Learning English. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 15(3).
Spencer, S., Drescher, T., Sears, J., Scruggs, A. F., & Schreffler, J. (2019). Comparing the efficacy of virtual simulation to traditional classroom role-play. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 57(7), 1772-1785.
Subbarayalu, A. V., Al Faraj, E. A., Al Kuwaiti, A., & Al-Muhanna, F. A. (2025). Leadership Perspectives on Talent Management in Saudi Universities: Challenges and Success Factors. In Mustafa Kayyali and Bryan Christiansen’s (eds) Insights Into International Higher Education Leadership and the Skills Gap (pp. 273-300). IGI Global.
Wills, S., Leigh, E., & Ip, A. (2011). The power of role-based e-learning: Designing and moderating online role play. Routledge.
Wilson, C. M. (2019). Developing Students’ Communication Skills Through Virtual Role Play Activities. East Carolina University.
Xanthopoulou, D., & Papagiannidis, S. (2012). Play online, work better? Examining the spillover of active learning and transformational leadership. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 79(7), 1328-1339.










