DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS’ LEADERSHIP COMPETENCE IN PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING TEAMS

People have been interested in the issue of leadership since the ancient times. In the 21st century, this issue does not lose its relevance either. Leadership is considered as one of the most important competences of today. In recent years, the development of leadership competence in Lithuania is identified as an important goal of the strategy of education (Lietuva 2030, 2012). Students’ leadership should be given more attention because this competence is important both ensuring the high-quality learning process and creating the society of responsible and active citizens. There is increasing recognition that leadership is not only a privilege of certain people. Therefore, it is purposeful to speak about shared leadership when the conditions are established for the expression of the leadership of many subjects acting together. It is evident that teamwork is potentially a favourable environment for the development of leadership competence. In problem-based learning teams, students facing an unusual situation that often requires an original solution learn leadership – to act responsibly, to express a justified opinion, to empower every member of the team, etc. Nevertheless, the results of some scientific research (Lenkauskaitė, 2014) reveal that in problem-based learning teams the potential of leadership is not always used. The article presupposes that positive outcomes of the activity of problem-based learning teams are not achieved by themselves. The teacher has to take the role of the facilitator enabling the constructive learning process that step by step leads to the expected expression of students’ leadership. The problem question is formulated in the research – how favourable conditions for the development of students’ leadership competence in problem-based learning teams should be established. In solving this question, in February-May, 2019, the survey of 46 teachers working in general education schools was conducted applying the method of an unstructured written interview. The research data were analysed applying the method of content analysis. The research has revealed that many teachers positively assess the development of students’ shared leadership competence in problem-based learning teams and strive to establish conditions for the expression of such leadership. As the teacher facilitates the work of the team, the leadership of all the students is enabled in different fields. It is focused both on the students’ abilities to organize a smooth process of the team’s activity and on the abilities to share knowledge striving for the high-quality solution of the problem. The teachers have also revealed the interferences that hinder the development of students’ leadership skills in problem-based learning teams. There is often a trend that only a part of students work in a team actively and responsibly, several leaders compete among themselves. The expected leadership skills are not developed either when leaders use power relationships and point out in an authoritarian way what other members of the team must do. The informants notice that problem-based learning in teams requires respective competences from the teacher, a lot of work, and accepting changed roles of the participants of the learning process. The research has revealed the teachers’ aspiration to find appropriate solutions allowing to effectively use the potential of problem-based learning teams for the development of students’ leadership competence.