Impact of training duration on leadership skills development among prefects and learner representative council members

Abstract

This quantitative study examined whether the length of leadership training for prefects and learners’ representative council (LRC) members in Namibian schools was associated with perceived development of key leadership competencies. Guided by transformational leadership and experiential learning perspectives, training duration was treated as a design feature that shapes opportunities for practice, feedback, and reflection. An online survey was completed by 450 prefects and LRC members who had attended external leadership camps of varying duration (1 day, 2 to 3 days, or 4 to 7 days) or had received only school-based orientation. Perceived gains were measured using five Likert scales covering collaboration and role modelling, role clarity, public speaking confidence, time management and planning, and decision-making voice. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA. Findings showed that mean ratings across all competencies were above the scale midpoint, indicating that learner leaders believed training strengthened collaboration, clarified roles, improved public speaking, improved time management, and enhanced influence in school decision-making. Findings also showed that training duration did not significantly predict perceived collaboration, role clarity, public speaking confidence, or decision-making voice, suggesting that longer camps did not yield stronger perceived gains in these domains. The statistically significant effect of duration was observed for time management: the longest camps (4 to 7 days) had the highest mean scores. However, pairwise comparisons were not significant because few learners attended such extended camps. Overall, these findings suggest that training quality and structure, supported by school-based mentoring, are more critical than duration. Therefore, training providers that prepare prefects and LRC members for leadership roles should adopt a context-responsive approach and design training based on participants’ specific needs, situations, and challenges.