A comparative study of leadership compentency gains through outdoor recreation between university students

Outdoor recreation can be used in the development of leadership, but there is not much research in the Malaysian universities. This research was conducted to determine their effectiveness on the members of TRAINER Club in UiTM Puncak Alam. The Leadership Practices Inventory and Leadership Trait Questionnaire were administered in a quantitative survey of 175 respondents. The findings indicated friendliness (M=3.99, SD=1.142), persistence (M=3.93, SD=1.072) and dependability (M=3.90, SD=1.097) to be the strongest traits, and outgoingness to be the weakest trait (M=2.98, SD=1.066). The significant correlations were made by motivating others to share a vision (r=0.603, p=0.000) and enabling other people to take initiative (r=0.518, p=0.004). The researchers conclude that outdoor learning using experience is beneficial to leadership skills, but reflective plans are needed to encourage balanced development.