The impact of an art-based media literacy curriculum on the leadership self-efficacy of adolescent girls

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the impact of an arts-based media literacy program on the leadership efficacy of adolescent girls. The participants of this study were 19 middle school girls who participated in an after-school, arts-based media literacy curricula known as Project Girl. The group meetings were led by female facilitators who had previously participated in Project Girl programs. Quantitative data was obtained from the participants through a pre- and post leadership efficacy scale. Qualitative data was obtained from participants through observations, art analyses, and interviews conducted by the researcher. Astin's (1985) Input-Environment-Output (I-E-O) model and Bandura's (1997) self-efficacy model were the theoretical perspectives that guided this study. Astin's I-E-O theory contextualizes the ways in which background characteristics and the art-based curriculum interact to influence the outcome variable of leadership self-efficacy for adolescent girls. Bandura's self-efficacy theory posits that four sources of efficacy interact to directly and indirectly affect leadership self-efficacy. The study examined the ways in which mastery experiences, modeling, verbal encouragement by peers, and background characteristics affected leadership efficacy in Project Girl participants. The research revealed that not only did the four sources of efficacy support the development of leadership efficacy through participation in Project Girl, but also three other significant themes emerged: sisterhood, community, and support.