More Than a Job: Student Fitness Instructors’ Leadership, Communication, and Relationship Building in Campus Recreation

Student employment in campus recreation allows students to gain transferable skills. Previous studies show that students employed in specialized program areas have different experiences. Addressing the gap in research, the purpose of the study was to (a) understand the relationship between leadership development, effective communication, and meaningful interpersonal relationships of student group fitness instructors and (b) investigate if student instructors’ leadership development was associated with their work experience and demographics. A total of 111 student group fitness instructors from 17 different NIRSA institutions completed an electronic questionnaire in the fall of 2021. The results of multiple regression showed both building meaningful relationships and gaining communication skills were significant predictors for students’ leadership development, while the interpersonal relationship was a stronger predictor than communication skills. The study also indicated that student group fitness instructors perceived similar leadership development, regardless of their demographics and working experience in campus recreation.