Preferred Student Leadership Skills in a Public University

In any educational institution, students are also shaped to become great leaders. Choosing the right one is vital; hence, one must possess good leadership skills.   This study aimed to determine the preferred leadership skills of the students at the different colleges of MSU-TCTO in terms of communication skills, time-management skills, conceptual skills, commitment, and open-mindedness to eliminate the focus of individuals on these subjective qualities of aspiring leaders. It also determined the significant difference on the extent of preferred leadership skills of the students by college. This study promotes understanding regarding student leadership and skills approach, and the basic norms in selecting or choosing the best student leader. This study made use of descriptive-quantitative research design conducted to the students of Mindanao State University – Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography located at Barangay Boheh Sallang, Sanga-Sanga, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. A total of 325 respondents were selected using the sampling technique by Gay (1976) of which 20% of the population of students were taken from each of the six (6) colleges from different year levels. Researcher-made-scale was utilized to gather information and it was validated by experts in terms of relevance and appropriateness of the item-statements. Data collected were tabulated and subjected to statistical treatment and analysis. Mean, average mean and ANOVA were the statistical tools employed to treat the research problems. Based on the findings of the study, students from CAS, COED, COF, IOES, IICT, and CIAS obtained a very high preference for student leaders who have good communication skills, open-mindedness, commitment skills, time-management, and conceptual skills, respectively. These skills are highly preferred by the students as they strongly believe that good leaders can lead, motivate, and inspire them. Further, a student who possess the right skills of a leader can best represent the whole studentry and can further achieve greater goals in the future. Thus, aspiring student leaders of the said university must enhance their skills in accordance with the preferences of the students and be consistent of their performances as part of their responsibilities as leaders to improve the school community, in general.