Guoming Li

Year of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

International Educational Leadership

Department or School/College

Phyllis J. Washington College of Education

Committee Chair

William P. McCaw

Commitee Members

John Matt, Erica Allen, Liqin Tang, Grace Gardner

Keywords

China's Higher Education, Educational Leadership, Higher Education Supervision, Student Affairs Management, Student Cadre, Student Leadership

Abstract

The identity construction experiences of a key group of student leaders in China’s public universities, class monitors born after the year 2000, were explored through a descriptive phenomenological approach guided by Giorgi’s (2019) framework. From the in-depth interviews with 14 participants, how these student leaders interpret and make meaning of their experiences within the unique context of China’s student cadre system was investigated. Three central dimensions of identity construction were showed: (1) alignment with servant leadership discourses that emphasize responsibility, care, and moral commitment to peers; (2) navigation of a complex followership process involving compliance and responsiveness to institutional supervisors; and (3) expression of distinctive generational traits of the post-2000s cohort, such as heightened self-awareness, respectful communication, and a desire for recognition and authenticity.

Theoretically, this study contributes to three bodies of literature. First, it enriches student leadership research by repositioning the class monitor role as a site of servant leadership development rather than a symbolic administrative function. Second, it advances student affairs management literature by demonstrating how class monitors act as relational bridges between institutional authority and peer communities. Third, it adds to post-2000s studies by illuminating how this generation’s identity values, individual expression, self-reflection, and social connectedness manifest in formal leadership roles.

Practically, the findings offer valuable insights for educational leaders aiming to enhance participatory governance and cultivate reflective, service-oriented student leaders. For student affairs professionals, the study highlights the importance of supporting class monitors as coconstructors of community who play pivotal roles in peer engagement and institutional communication. Methodologically, the research findings demonstrate the analytical power of descriptive phenomenology in capturing the complex lived experiences of student leaders within Chinese higher education.

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