On Becoming a Leader: Impact of Criminology Intern Leadership Training

Abstract

: This study examined the impact of a seven-day leadership training program on 45 criminology interns at De La Salle Andres Soriano Memorial College in the Philippines, using convenient sampling to select participants. Employing a descriptive correlational research design, the research assessed the program’s effectiveness in developing three core competencies: personality, discipline, and leadership skills - through pre- and post-training survey questionnaires and quantitative analysis of measured changes. The analysis was anchored in key leadership frameworks, including Kurt Lewin’s Autocratic Leadership Style, James MacGregor Burns’s Transformational Leadership Theory, and Fred Fiedler’s Contingency Leadership Theory. Findings indicate that the training program contributed meaningfully to improvements in interns’ personality-related attributes and discipline. However, leadership skills showed comparatively limited gains, suggesting the need for more focused and skills-based training components. In response, the study proposes an Enhanced Criminology Intern Leadership Program that emphasizes applied leadership tasks using real-world scenarios, structured mentorship, and continuous monitoring and evaluation to strengthen leadership competency development. Overall, the research offers practical evidence on the value and limitations of short-term leadership interventions for criminology interns and supports the design of more responsive leadership development initiatives in criminal justice education and training.