Preparing adolescent girls for school and post-school leadership: recommendations to school educators from educational staff, female students, and women leaders

Abstract

This paper explores the concepts of adolescent girls and leadership by investigating how girls might be best prepared for future leadership roles as a result of their schooling experiences. A qualitative study was conducted utilising three forms of data collection. Firstly, the electronic survey of staff members from girls' schools located in Australia and New Zealand took place. Secondly, focus groups were performed with female students from Australia and South Africa. Finally, interviews with current women leaders from Australia and the United Kingdom were carried out. From each participant group recommendations for developing future women leaders were collected. These findings were then collated and synthesised in order to present a cohesive understanding of how educational settings may be used to better develop women leaders of the future. These recommendations may provide assistance to schools in developing adolescent girls' leadership potential as well as present areas of interest for further research.