Volunteers’ attitudes of leadership behaviour in the Outdoor Curriculum Program

Volunteers serve as catalysts for student development, fostering confidence and critical leadership skills through inclusive and ability-based participation. Grounded in Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior, this study investigates how behavioral, normative, and control beliefs influence volunteers’ attitudes toward leadership within the Outdoor Curriculum Program at the Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). A quantitative cross-sectional design was adopted, with purposive sampling used to select 233 students across the faculty in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected through the Volunteer Leadership Development Questionnaire (VLDQ), a validated 7- point Likert scale instrument administered via an online platform. Analysis revealed no significant gender differences in behavioral and normative beliefs; however, control beliefs—reflecting volunteers’ confidence in their leadership capabilities—demonstrated significant variation between genders. This indicates that perceived behavioral control plays a central role in shaping leadership attitudes among volunteers. Compared to behavioral and normative beliefs, control beliefs emerged as the most influential determinant in developing volunteer leadership. These findings underscore the importance of targeted leadership programs that enhance self-efficacy and address gender-responsive considerations to optimize volunteer leadership potential in experiential learning environments.