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Teachers' conceptions of teaching play a key role in the pedagogical practices they apply in their teaching. Previous studies of conceptions of teaching generic skills have been mainly qualitative with small samples, and thus there is a need for a more extensive quantitative study. This study investigates the associations between higher education teachers' conceptions of teaching generic skills, pedagogical practices, pedagogical training, and teaching experience. The data consist of teachers' survey answers (N = 286). The findings indicate that conceptions were related to pedagogical practices. In addition, pedagogical training has a significant relation to conceptions and pedagogical practices. However, teaching experience did not relate to conceptions of generic skills, but it did to some of the practices. This study suggests a need for teachers to enhance their awareness of conceptions related to teaching generic skills and highlights the importance of pedagogical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's highly competitive job market, the employability of graduates holds paramount significance. Employers increasingly demand fundamental competencies and diverse employability skills from the current graduates. Studies have highlighted a noticeable gap between the skills employers seek and graduates' skills upon the completion of their studies. This gap in employability skills significantly impacts graduates, impeding their prospects of securing suitable employment opportunities. The disparities in skills and knowledge have sparked a debate on graduate employability, necessitating further research in this domain. Addressing that, the current study explored research trends, directions, and opportunities related to graduate employability. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on a dataset comprising 2335 journal articles on graduate employability published between 1981 and 2023 in Scopus and Web of Science databases. The results of bibliometric analysis revealed the most influential journal articles based on their publications, citations, and significance in the intellectual network. Through content analysis, this study shed light on the subject's intellectual structure, characterized by four major thematic clusters: (1) the attribution of broader skills to career enhancement; (2) the significance of generic skills (interpersonal, problem‐solving, and communication skills); (3) the need for work‐related training and employer engagement; and (4) the need for improved curriculum design to build adequate human capital. The study concluded with a discussion of practical policy implications, limitations of study, and recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of accountability measures in education, many policymakers have also argued the need to record, assess, and certify students' holistic development. However, using China as a case, we caution how a policy-driven reform on the assessment of holistic development might fall into the pitfall of performativity. Borrowing from Ball's (Ball, Journal of Education Policy 18:215–228, 2003) seminal work on policy technologies, we investigate the ways in which management cultures, market logic, and performance indicators have figured in China's assessment policies on students' holistic development. Using the findings as a base, we further discuss and problematize how these policies could have rendered students "managed," "marketized," and "performative," influencing what it means to become a "holistic" student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the skills expected by employers and the skills demonstrated by accounting graduates with data from 160 employers of accounting graduates in Ghana. From the perspective of employers, the authors compare the expected skills to the skills demonstrated by accounting graduates and identify any significant gaps. Design/methodology/approach: One-way analysis of variance, T-tests and factor analysis are used to test significant gaps that exist between expected and demonstrated skills by employers and accounting graduates using survey questionnaires and purposive sampling. Findings: The results reveal that there are significant gaps between the expected skills of employers and the demonstrated skills of accounting graduates. The authors find generic skills to be more expected by employers, while technical skills are demonstrated most by accounting graduates. The top five skills expected by employers are: business ethics and integrity; problem solving and decision analysis; written communication skills; learning skills; and application of accounting principles. Research limitations/implications: The study focuses only on organizations that use fresh accounting graduates in Ghana. Further studies may consider other business-related fields like finance, human resource management and marketing. Practical implications: The study provides insights on standards that serve as benchmarks for the conduct of accounting graduates as well as the development of accounting curriculum in Ghana. Accounting education should incorporate work-integrated learning as part of their curriculum to enable accounting graduates to solve problems and make decisions through a practical application of accounting principles, standards and concepts, especially in conducting audit and writing reports. Originality/value: This study fills the gap in the literature on accounting education from employers' perspectives in a developing country. It conducts a comparative analysis between the most important skills required by employers and the ones demonstrated by accounting graduates to provide insights on standards that should serve as benchmarks for the development of the accounting curriculum from an emerging economy perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European advocates of Liberal Arts and Sciences education often claim that this educational model is highly effective at teaching students a range of generic, transferable, or 21st-century skills, which are thought to be vital for success in the labour market of the future. However, there is little empirical research into whether and how these programs do so. This paper examines how European Liberal Arts and Sciences students experience how their programs teach them generic skills. It is based on a significant number of interviews with students from a range of programs across Europe. It concludes that a multidisciplinary curriculum with significant freedom of choice, active student-centred pedagogy with open assessment, and an emphasis on academic community are experienced as key features that foster the development of generic skills. This finding both confirms and expands the current theoretical understanding of generic skills acquisition, as well as yielding several suggestions for how other programs might teach these skills better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ChatGPT has significantly increased in popularity in recent months because of its capacity to generate novel content and provide genuine responses to questions. Nevertheless, like all technologies, it is crucial to assess its limitations and features prior to implementing it into an educational setting. A major obstacle associated with ChatGPT is its tendency to produce consistent yet occasionally unreliable and inaccurate responses. Our study provides students with training in this area, and its objective was to analyse the opinion of those same university students studying education-related degrees regarding the efficacy of the usefulness of ChatGPT for their learning. We used a mixed methodology and two instruments for data collection: questionnaires and discussion groups. The sample comprised 150 university students pursuing degrees in teaching and social education. The results show that the majority of students are familiar with the technology but have not had any formal training in a university. They use this tool to complete academic assignments outside the classroom, and they emphasise the need for training in it. Furthermore, following the training, the students highlight an increase in motivation and a positive impact on the development of generic skills, such as information analysis, synthesis and management, problem solving, and learning how to learn. Ultimately, this study provides an opportunity to consider the implementation of educational training of this tool at the university level in order to ensure its appropriate use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ChatGPT has significantly increased in popularity in recent months because of its capacity to generate novel content and provide genuine responses to questions. Nevertheless, like all technologies, it is crucial to assess its limitations and features prior to implementing it into an educational setting. A major obstacle associated with ChatGPT is its tendency to produce consistent yet occasionally unreliable and inaccurate responses. Our study provides students with training in this area, and its objective was to analyse the opinion of those same university students studying education-related degrees regarding the efficacy of the usefulness of ChatGPT for their learning. We used a mixed methodology and two instruments for data collection: questionnaires and discussion groups. The sample comprised 150 university students pursuing degrees in teaching and social education. The results show that the majority of students are familiar with the technology but have not had any formal training in a university. They use this tool to complete academic assignments outside the classroom, and they emphasise the need for training in it. Furthermore, following the training, the students highlight an increase in motivation and a positive impact on the development of generic skills, such as information analysis, synthesis and management, problem solving, and learning how to learn. Ultimately, this study provides an opportunity to consider the implementation of educational training of this tool at the university level in order to ensure its appropriate use.

Copyright of Pedagogische Studiën is the property of Vereniging Onderwijsresearch and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to determine the level of generic skills of technical students before and after the introduction of cooperative technical learning as well as measure the statistical improvement in those skills. A general lack of ability has been identified as one of the causes of ADTEC technical student unemployment, prompting many colleges to update their curriculum. In this experiment, two groups of technical students in ADTEC Batu Pahat, Johor, were evaluated: 30 certificate students after SPM and 40 diploma students. The questionnaire instrument includes eight generic skills: collecting and evaluating data, communicating concepts, activity planning, collaboration, mathematical applications, problem solving, and technology use. Data were analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistics, with paired t-tests showing significance at 0.05. The results showed a significant improvement in the skills of certificate students in four categories, while diploma students did not show a significant improvement. Cooperative technical learning is more effectively fostered in the early stages of higher education. This study is important to urge lecturers to use this technique if it is proven to be effective in improving students' skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have quantitatively evaluated the effectiveness of cross-disciplinary team learning. This study conducted project-based learning (PBL) training for teams with the same curriculum and specialties (single-disciplinary teams) and teams with different curriculum and specialties (crossdisciplinary teams) over the past four years. Based on the results of a Progress Report on Generic Skills (PROG) test conducted before and after the PBL exercise, the difference in competency between the single-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary teams was examined and analyzed, showing that the students who participated in the cross-disciplinary teams tended to improve their personal skills in the PROG test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for self-assessment of competencies (behavioral characteristics that produce excellent outcomes) before and after attending an educational program. The competency selfassessment proposed in this paper can be conducted easily and without cost. Furthermore, the results of the self-assessment can be used by educators not only to analyze educational effects and improve teaching methods but also to foster awareness of improving competencies among learners. The content of the competency self-assessment sheet has been carefully designed so that it can be used effectively to raise awareness of the need to improve competencies and to enable reflection on the results. As an example of the analysis of educational effects, we discuss the differences in the effects of competency development depending on the content of the graduation research and the students' attitude toward the graduation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of generic skills for life scientists is commonly recognised by employers, graduates, and higher education institutes. As it remains unclear which generic skills are relevant for different life sciences career paths, this study aims to give an overview to inform and inspire universities and students, by analysing 179 Dutch entry-level job postings. We deductively coded nine career paths, namely: life sciences industry, PhD-student, quality compliance, research-related, sales & business, communication/education, information technology, consultancy, and policy. We coded generic skills using an adapted categorisation consisting of 46 generic skills within four categories, which were: self, others, information, and tasks. The descriptive statistics and cluster analysis results showed that although language, communication, and collaboration were the most requested skills, differences in requested generic skills between career paths and cluster composition were observed as well. We concluded that although some generic skills are important in general, other generic skills are relevant for specific life sciences career paths. To educate skilled life scientists, universities should consider the flexible integration of these generic skills in their life sciences programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today’s educational landscape, the integration of innovative pedagogical approaches is essential for improving student learning. In this respect, game-based learning appears to be a strategy that not only actively engages students—who often struggle to understand scientific concepts, leading to negative emotions and discouragement—but also helps them acquire transferable skills. Particularly in the field of telecommunications engineering, where the practical application of knowledge is essential, the use of educational games offers a unique opportunity to explore and reinforce specific and general skills. In this study, a cross-sectional quantitative methodology was implemented using a representative sample of 64 undergraduate students in the sixth semester of the telecommunications engineering program at a public university. In general, educational games are primarily intended to evoke emotions in participants, such as enjoyment, to help them cultivate a “receptive learning mindset” and to effectively teach a specific subject. In contrast to these approaches, the game proposed in this study incorporates humanistic skills and artistic tools to construct antennas within a specific context. This enabled students to engage in a practical, applied learning experience in their field of study, focusing on three key aspects: appropriating knowledge, building values, and learning about life, as well as recognizing others in society and interacting with the environment. The results obtained using the proposed game-based strategy were compared with those obtained using conventional teaching tools. The results showed that play not only imparted knowledge but also contributed to students’ overall development by fostering the values and skills essential to their personal and professional success. The results underscore the significance of developing games that authentically simulate project processes and activities. This emphasizes the importance of aligning game dynamics with real-world challenges and situations in the field of telecommunications engineering. This simulation-based approach may be the key to maximizing the impact of game-based learning on the training of future professionals in this field. This comparative study helps fill a gap in knowledge about game-based learning in engineering education by providing valuable insights. It is also important to comprehend the impact of game-based learning on an antenna course and the students’ willingness to engage with this innovative teaching style in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: The accounting labour market has undergone a metamorphosis in recent years, leading to new demands for generic skills. Universities have responded to the new demands by implementing several reforms in the accounting curriculum to address skills gap. Despite these major reforms, educational expectation gap is persistent in Botswana. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for skills development for employability in the competitive and dynamic accounting environment in Botswana. Motivation for the study: A skills gap was identified, implying the need for a framework for skills development for employability in the competitive and dynamic environment, thereby improving the graduate’s pervasive skills. Research design, approach and method: This study employs a qualitative research approach to extract and analyse key themes, quotes and insights from recent reports submitted to Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) by students and industrial supervisors. Utilising thematic data analysis, this research systematically examines the qualitative data gathered to elucidate the effectiveness of competency frameworks as perceived by both parties. Main findings: Institutions of Higher Learning in Botswana are mandated to equip students with job market-relevant skills. However, graduates often fall short in critical areas such as advanced cognitive abilities, socio-behavioural competencies and information technology (IT) proficiency, hindering their effective transition from academia to the workforce. Practical and/or managerial implications: The contribution and societal impact of this study are summed up in a proposed framework for skills development for employability in the competitive and dynamic accounting environment in Botswana. Contribution and/or value-add: The proposed framework is designed so that universities can equip students with soft skills needed in ever changing accounting environment.

In the past decade, research and several surveys have indicated that the competence of higher forestry education graduates does not meet the requirements of working life regarding supervisory and management skills. The aim of this study was to discover what kind of supervisory and management competence is required in the daily tasks of early-career forestry professionals, and to what extent the teaching of these skills would be advisable to include in higher forestry education. The study was implemented through a Webropol survey of the Master’s of Forestry graduates and forestry engineers graduated between 2018–2021, which mapped their supervisory and managerial duties and skills. The study population was 1046 people, of which 30.4% responded to the survey. The principal finding was of an apparent extensive need for the abovementioned skills, as supervisory duties are typical in the work of forestry professionals soon after their graduation. In this study, approximately one fifth of the employed respondents worked in a supervisory position, one third had supervisory or managerial duties, and half had an indirect network of subordinates. Supervisory skills were seen important for all forestry professionals regardless of their position. Moreover, self-management, team management, and well-being and occupational health management were regarded as important skills. However, there appeared to be notable gaps in all these skills. The study results contribute to improving working life orientation in higher forestry education. Based on these findings, we recommend that teaching of these subjects should be implemented by integrating the topics into field-specific courses.

Copyright of Journal of Professional & Vocational Education (JPVE) / Ammattikasvatuksen Aikakauskirja is the property of Finnish Vocational Education Research Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing interest in the role of universities in developing generic skills, in addition to disciplinary ones, to help students adapt to a changing workplace. The need to develop these skills is particularly critical for healthcare students who must face challenges in health systems. This scoping study, following Arksey and O'Malley's ([2005]. Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616) method provides an overview of the scientific literature on generic skills in health studies. The definitions, categorizations, and measurement tools from 43 articles were mapped and summarized and gaps were identified. Definitions and terms were varied but overall, generic skills are considered cross-disciplinary and cross-professional. Nevertheless, the term skill itself was not defined. The lack of consensus on categorization and assessment led us to propose a typology to group all the skills mentioned into four categories: personal, ideas and object-related, interpersonal and community-related skills. One conclusion is that generic skills are valued foremost in relation to labor market demands with an emphasis on skills such as knowledge, communication, and planning over ethical and citizenship skills that are essential for future healthcare professionals. It is imperative to consider generic skills that are necessary to face the complex challenges of today's world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from a survey conducted by the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations Board of Educational Affairs are reported. A total of 227 psychology graduates from across Europe responded to an online survey. Participants were presented with a set of psychology subject-specific competencies and a set of general competencies and asked to rate the extent to which (a) their Bachelor studies supported the development of these competencies and (b) these competencies were relevant for employment as well as to comment on the value of a Psychology Bachelor degree. Findings suggest that an education in psychology develops psychological skills, but also graduates with more general competencies. Overall, psychological competencies appear to develop to a high level through the Bachelor in Psychology, with the exception of specific practical skills. On the contrary, general competencies appear to not develop to an adequate degree. Practical skills focusing on the administration of psychological tools, psychometric instruments and specialist software, as well as general competencies relating to computer literacy skills, communication skills and team-working skills should be further developed to prepare graduates adequately for employment. The study highlights the value of an education in psychology particularly for those individuals who do not wish to enter the applied psychology professions or academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Researchers and policymakers have given attention to generic skills development in higher institutions. One of the intentions is to broaden graduate employability with generic skills. In South Africa, there is a paucity of research concerning future built environment practitioners' (FBEP) generic skills development from the students' perspective. Thus, this paper aims to investigate South Africa's FBEP generic skills and suggest feasible solutions to improve FBEP generic skills from the students' perception. Design/methodology/approach: The researchers collated the views of FBEP via a phenomenology type of qualitative research design. It covered selected South African public universities and investigated the discourses that underpin "perceived hindrance" in developing generic skills for FBEP. Selected 30 FBEP were engaged in the virtual interviews across three public universities. Data saturation was achieved. Three themes emerged and were analysed through a thematic analysis. Findings: Findings show that FBEP generic skills development will enhance integrated productivity and higher value for money in construction project delivery. But developing these skills demands a holistic approach. Findings have raised concern with the perceived hindrances facing FBEP in developing generic skills. Findings suggest the need to revisit and revamp the curricula to develop these skills and strengthen policies that will "nip" possible hindrances. Research limitations/implications: This study was limited to South Africa's FBEP generic skills from students' perception. In line with the limited resources, three public universities were covered from the selected provinces in South Africa. Future research with a more diverse sample is needed to ensure a better representative and generalisation of findings. Practical implications: Findings show that apart from academic knowledge system thinking skills, civic responsibility skills and critical thinking skills are germane for intending construction industry professionals. Others are integrated teamwork skills, good attitude and communication skills, entrepreneurship skills and resources management skills. Findings from this paper may stir up the education sector's stakeholders to revamp the curricula in enhancing these skills among students from the basic to higher institutions. The outcome will improve productivity in the construction industry. Originality/value: Although few scholars have discussed generic skills in the built environment, there are limited studies from the students' context in developing countries, a South Africa case study, a gap this research aims to fill. Also, it proffers ways to mitigate perceived hindrances facing FBEP in developing generic skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University students' approaches to learning and generic skills have important consequences for studying and success in higher education. However, personoriented research, which explores how students with different learning profiles evaluate their learning of individual generic skills, has not been the core interest of previous studies. This study investigates the learning profiles of university students (N = 901) in two disciplines and their relations to the experiences of learning critical thinking, collaboration and communication at the end of the first study year. The interrelations of the variables were analyzed with correlations and Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) estimating auxiliary variable relation. LPA yielded three learning profile groups that differed from each other in their approaches to learning: unreflective, dissonant and deep-organized, which, respectively, comprised 7, 58 and 35% of the sample. The experiences of learning generic skills of the three learning profiles varied. The comparison of the profiles showed that students representing the deep-organized profile scored highest on all measured generic skills compared to the other two learning profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Japan Association for College of Technology is the property of Japan Association for College of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Digital labour platforms have become increasingly common for the trade of a range of digitally transferable services. To help participants mitigate the uncertainty that is inherent to trading on digital platforms, feedback mechanisms have become the main tool to gauge the 'performed' quality and reliability of platform participants. Based on an analysis of 750 written feedback texts, this article first examines which freelancer qualities (technical skills, generic skills or personal competences) matter most to clients and, therefore, are instrumental to the building of a freelancer's digital reputation on a platform and, second, how exactly these feedback texts help reduce uncertainty when trading via a platform. Herewith, this paper adds to a deeper understanding of the 'rules of the game' on digital labour platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflection has been increasingly used to enhance student development in higher education, in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Learner autonomy is essential on reflection, particularly on how learners interpret their learning experiences. The learner has to take initiatives in making meaning of their learning by examining their experiences, and purposefully exploring their learning. Reflection is a key component in active learning as students actively engage in the process of thinking about what they have learnt or experienced. Mezirow highlighted how reflection can mean many things, including awareness of a perception, thought, feeling, intention and action, taking something into consideration or simply imagining alternatives. And there are also multiple approaches to embracing reflection today, such as reflective essays, videos and online blogs, where reflective processes and approaches may differ particularly in relation to technological adoption. In a learning environment, reflective approaches are adopted with the aim for learners to transfer knowledge and experiences to practice. However, there is scarce literature on student perception of the different reflective approaches. The present paper therefore examines student perspectives on four different reflective approaches and how these different approaches are applied within the context of higher education. The four approaches chosen are written, audio, video and face-to-face based on current literature on how reflection is documented or presented in education) and the integration of the concept of multimodality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to reflect on the course design and learning outcomes of communityoriented project-based learning（PBL）practiced during the COVID-19 pandemic and to consider future prospects. The learning contents of the course comprised three classifications: acquiring skills such as systems thinking and data analysis; engaging in collaborative activities with teams and local stakeholders; and applying specialized expertise to design exercises. The first half of this paper describes the purpose, contents, concept, and methodology of the community-oriented PBL. The second half of the paper analyzes and discusses the results of two questionnaire surveys administered to the students who took the course and describes future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to measure the generic skills (GS) of Madrasah Aliyah (MA) students in Indonesia. Respondents who participated in this study were madrasah students scattered in East Java and Central Java as representatives of MAs in Indonesia. The method used in this research is a survey distributed via Google Form. Three dimensions are mentioned in the research instrument for measuring GS: religious moderation, critical and creative thinking skills, and interpersonal skills. Using SPPS version 16 software, a descriptive analysis was employed as the data analysis technique. The results of this study showed that the GS of students with religious moderation indicators obtained the highest average of 54.03% on the Likert scale 4. Critical and creative thinking skills indicators obtained the highest average results, 67.99%, on the Likert scale 4. The indicator of interpersonal skill obtained the highest average of 55.88% on the Likert 4 scale. Hence, it is expected of educational institutions to implement policies to enhance the GS of MA students, particularly in creating a more student-oriented learning model, also known as student-centered learning.

University students’ approaches to learning and generic skills have important consequences for studying and success in higher education. However, person-oriented research, which explores how students with different learning profiles evaluate their learning of individual generic skills, has not been the core interest of previous studies. This study investigates the learning profiles of university students (N = 901) in two disciplines and their relations to the experiences of learning critical thinking, collaboration and communication at the end of the first study year. The interrelations of the variables were analyzed with correlations and Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) estimating auxiliary variable relation. LPA yielded three learning profile groups that differed from each other in their approaches to learning: unreflective, dissonant and deep-organized, which, respectively, comprised 7, 58 and 35% of the sample. The experiences of learning generic skills of the three learning profiles varied. The comparison of the profiles showed that students representing the deep-organized profile scored highest on all measured generic skills compared to the other two learning profiles.

Generic skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication are essential for students' success in higher education and their careers. This article presents findings from an international study of students' (n ≈ 120,000) generic skills from six countries using a performance‐based assessment. Results indicate that higher education students, on average, gain generic skills between entry and exit. However, learning gain is less marked than could be expected and varies significantly among country samples. Various background variables such as gender, ethnicity, parental level of education, and primary language are also explored. The authors conclude that it is feasible to reliably and validly measure generic skills in a cross‐cultural context and that assessment of these skills is an essential component of best practices in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with an unpredictable future, higher education in mathematics and science (MS) needs to educate a knowledgeable and skilled workforce. Co-operative learning (CL) is a teaching method associated with increased academic achievement and development of generic skills. Thus, the purposes of this scoping review are to assess the evidence base of CL in undergraduate MS education to inform teaching practices and to identify potential knowledge gaps to inform future research. The review covers 24 empirical studies conducted from 2010 to 2020 on the prevalence, uses, and outcomes of CL elements in undergraduate MS education. The results show that there are few such studies, and these are rarely conducted outside the US or in disciplines other than chemistry. The most frequently implemented CL elements in the included studies are heterogeneous group formation, the use of roles, and different CL structures. The most prevalent student outcome of implemented CL elements in the reviewed studies is enhanced academic success, followed by student attitudes, generic skills, and psychological health. The results have implications for future implementation of and research on CL in international MS higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study was to examine instructional methods that promote students' generic workplace-relevant competence in university education. We investigated courses that differed from each other in their ways to engage students in practicing collaborative knowledge work and career skills. Students from three agricultural sciences courses answered a questionnaire to self-assess their learning of collaborative knowledge-work practices and studying in the courses. The students assessed that the course based on real project work supported the learning of collaborative knowledge practices better than the courses that did so through simulated practices or group work for content learning. Students appreciated tasks where they did something for further use, like producing a CV or solutions for a customer. The results indicate that authenticity of course activities and outputs are important characteristics of assignments aiming at enhancing workplace-relevant competencies and learning of knowledge-work practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generic skills are fundamental skills needed to complete a job or project that can be grown when students go through the learning process. This study aims to analyze and identify students' general skills in terms of scientific literacy through research-based learning methods in the Science Application course. The research uses a quantitative survey type, with a cluster random sampling technique on students taking the Science Application course. Data were obtained through a questionnaire to reveal students' generic skills individually and a questionnaire sheet was used to determine student responses to the research-based learning method. In learning the Science Application course using research-based learning methods, the indicators of observed generic skills are direct observation, indirect observation, awareness scale, symbolic language, logical framework, logical consistency, causal law, modeling, logical inference, and abstraction. The highest score on the logical inference indicator is 82%, while the logistic consistency indicator gets the lowest percentage of 72%. Students gave a positive response to the learning of research-based learning methods with a percentage of 85%. Students have a new, fun learning experience, and their generic skills are formed so that it has a positive impact on improving the quality of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships between learning environment variables and students' approaches to studying have been investigated from many points of view over the last decades. However, few studies have explored whether such relationships are stable over time. In the two consecutive cross-sectional analyses performed in this study, Norwegian occupational therapy students' perceptions of their learning environment and their approaches to studying were assessed in the second (162 students) and third (193 students) year of their study program. Aside from sociodemographic information, the students completed the Course Experience Questionnaire and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, with the aim of exploring whether associations between learning environment variables and study approaches were stable across time. The data were analyzed with hierarchical linear regression analyses. Relatively stable associations with students' study approaches were found for the learning environment variables of 'generic skills' and 'appropriate workload'. The learning environment variables of 'clear goals and standards' and 'student autonomy' were directly associated with study approaches in both study years, but the nature of the associations shifted during the study period. Thus, knowledge of stability and change in these relationships could assist faculty in promoting a well-functioning learning environment throughout the study program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flipped classroom approach is increasingly popular. The effectiveness of the flipped classroom is promising, yet there is little consensus on whether and how varying the number of flipped lessons influences the overall course effectiveness and the affective perceptions of flipped learning. This is important because of the potential impacts on students, teaching staff, and institutional-supporting staff when increasing the number of flipped lessons in a course. The present project collected 465 valid responses from university students who attended courses with varying numbers of flipped lessons in five different government-funded universities. Across different academic disciplines, results converged to identify that students learning in a course that flipped 40–50% of lessons showed the highest learning outcomes in terms of interpersonal and communication skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as feeling the most positive towards their flipped learning experiences. Our findings not only increase the understanding of the flipped classroom instructional strategy but also provide practical suggestions in course design and support, so as to maximize the benefits of the flipped classroom instructional strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students’ learning experiences are considered useful indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching in tertiary education. With limited theory-driven research, this study aimed to examine whether the educational environment is able to mediate the relationship between student workload and generic skills. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1347 nursing students in ten nursing schools across Vietnam from November 2021 to January 2022. The results showed that the total score of the students’ workload and the generic skills were 3.25 ± 0.59 and 3.84 ± 0.56 (possible score: 1-5), respectively. Students were at an “agree” level with statements like “the sheer volume of work to be got through in this course means you can’t comprehend it” and “as results of doing this course, I feel more confident about tackling unfamiliar problem”. Most nursing students rated the educational environment at levels of “more positive educational environment” (N=1018, 75.58%), with a total score of 120.75 ± 20.78 (possible score: 0-200). The educational environment was identified as a mediator in the relationships between the workload and the generic skills. The direct effect on workload was -0.00035 which was not significant (p=0.987) with the generic skills. The indirect effect of workload that passes through the educational environment was -0.07 and is also statistically significant, at p= 0.002. As such, the study suggests that, to enhance students’ generic skills, it is necessary to instruct students in efficient learning strategies to help them manage their academic workload, particularly during unexpected situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, despite the occurrence of a high level of student workload, nursing schools could focus on efficient tactics and interventions to improve the educational environment, which subsequently helps to improve students’ outcomes.

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) requires the workforce to be equipped with new skills when existing skills need to be upgraded or improved because they are no longer in line with technological advancement in 4IR. Thus, it is crucial to determine what the new skills or 4IR skills are that can help the future workforce obtain a job after graduation. This study aimed to explore and verify the attributes of nine 4IR generic skills (GS4IR) for entry-level civil engineers in Malaysia by using a qualitative approach. An interview session was conducted with five senior engineers in the civil engineering (CE) field and three experts (two engineers in CE and one lecturer in CE faculty) for reliability data verification. The interview data were analyzed using coding analysis and presented in a matrix table. The results show 76 items identified as attributes of nine GS4IR constructs. Next, the verification of the constructs and attributes of GS4IR was obtained from Fleiss Kappa's reliability analysis to determine the overall approval index. The results of the analysis revealed an overall Kappa coefficient value of 0.61, which indicates a good level of agreement. The findings of this study consist of 58 attributes for nine constructs of GS4IR approved after the inter-rater reliability among the experts. The findings from this study are beneficial for the development of a framework of 4IR generic skills for civil engineering graduates as guidance to instill new skills in producing future engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) requires its member professional accounting organisations and their authorised educators to adopt the overarching guidelines that are provided in the International Education Standards (IES). Despite these requirements, which include that accounting students develop several non-technical skills (NTS), students fail to adequately develop such skills. Furthermore, several studies advise that accounting programmes must incorporate emotional intelligence (EI) development initiatives, but this requirement is excluded from the IES. Resultantly, educators may disregard EI development within accounting programmes, especially since these programmes are already considered overloaded. This study investigates whether it is possible to advance the NTS of accounting students while facilitating the development of their EI competencies by aiming to answer the following question: which EI capabilities can improve the NTS of accounting students? By following a qualitative research approach and performing a systematic literature review, the study found that the enhancement of multiple EI capabilities can lead to the improvement of several NTS of accounting students. Educators that want to renew their NTS development offering, or introduce EI development initiatives within their accounting programmes, can use these findings as a guide to determine which EI capabilities (or combination thereof) can advance the essential NTS of accounting students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to determine the relationship between generic skills and the insertion into the labor market of graduates of a private university. The study is descriptive, non-experimental, exploratory, correlational, Spearman's correlation coefficient () is used with tie adjustment, the instrument is the Likert scale survey, the population is graduates of business careers from a private university in the period 2016-2018 in his ninth, tenth and eleventh semester of study; the sampling was systematic random. The results of the generic competencies variable highlighted by dimension are planning time, teamwork, adapting to changes and not discriminating; for the insertion variable of the graduates, they are satisfied with the work they do, they work formally, they apply what they have learned, they are satisfied with improving their professional training; They did not develop research or practice English, they do not use LinkedIn at the beginning. Most of the graduates have worked and studied since the beginning of their career, in small and medium-sized companies. It is concluded that labor insertion has a significant relationship of 0.835562 with generic competencies and that it is better correlated with systemic generic competencies and social values. Recommending keeping in mind the generic skills in labor insertion issues, classify them in these four dimensions, and be valued in higher education and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether a broad undergraduate curriculum prepares students well for academic and professional specialization is a much‐debated question. This discussion is particularly relevant in the context of European liberal arts bachelor's programmes, which recently re‐emerged as an exception to the continental norm of specialized undergraduate curricula. While liberal arts proponents contend that the broad foundation of knowledge and generic skills provided by this educational model facilitate specialization rather than hindering it, critics point to the relative lack of disciplinary depth. To investigate this problem, the paper looks at three specialized master's programmes at Maastricht University—in international business, psychology, and neuroscience. It compares the academic performance of two groups of students in these programmes: graduates from University College Maastricht, a liberal arts institution, and their peers with discipline‐focused bachelor's degrees in a matching field. Results from probit and OLS regression models show that there are no major differences between the two groups in terms of dropout rates, GPA, and master's thesis grades. Despite having less subject‐specific knowledge, university college graduates proved to be prepared equally well for specialized master's studies as their counterparts with a matching disciplinary background. These findings suggest that an undergraduate curriculum that offers more breadth and flexibility does not represent an obstacle to further specialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, in general – and in the Province of Ontario in particular – academics, employers, and government agencies are concerned with the low generic skill levels of university students and graduates. The assumption is that such deficiencies detract from academic and job success. Despite this concern, in Canada, research has not focused on potential links between objectively measured generic skills and grades recorded in administrative records. In view of this lacuna, the current research has two objectives. First, to assess the net effect of objectively measured generic skills on academic achievement as recorded in administrative records. Second, to determine the efficacy of an online course dedicated to the development of generic skills. Overall, I found that generic skills were better predictors of students’ achievement than high school grades used in admission processes; the relationship between high school grades and generic skill levels was weak; students’ generic skill levels did not improve over time; and an online course devoted to increasing students’ generic skills was effective in boosting skills to an acceptable level. Accordingly, if they are concerned with academic achievement, universities in Ontario and in other jurisdictions in which students are admitted to university primarily based on their secondary school grades might make the development of generic skills a priority; however, unless such skills are demanded across the curriculum, they will atrophy.