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Integrating Soft Skills Through Active Learning In The Management Classroom

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Abstract

This article discusses how active learning can be used to develop soft skills required by managers of contemporary organizations. Findings from course materials developed in response to business and industry demand for increased focus on soft skills are examined using an emerging population, first generation college students in institutions of higher education.

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... Third, active learning instructional strategies also involves involving learners in reflecting upon the learning process [3]. Learning about robotics and computer programming must involve reflection so that students will not quickly forget about concepts learnt in class. ...
... Fourth, active learning instructional strategies also involve spending greater proportion of time helping students develop their understanding and skills [3]. In robotics and computer programming learners must be made to effectively understand and gain skills. ...
... First, the teacher can adopt the pause procedure which normally entails promoting greater student engagement through pausing procedure where the instructor pauses for a few minutes to allow students to work in pairs to discuss concepts and rework their notes [3]. For instance, in Robotics, there are concepts such as software-hardware integration that may seem challenging to the learners. ...
... "It is an indicator of the economic value of human skills which consists of the knowledge, skills, and health capabilities that people accumulate throughout their lives, enabling them to exploit their potential as productive or creative individuals in the society". Hence, the promotion of individual human capital is necessity, because it considered as the key component for productivity, economic and social development (Mansour, 2019). ...
... The shipping industry is evolving rapidly, and the maritime industry in the future will be driven by three interrelated and reinforcing trends: (i)The maritime industrial internet which merges big data with big iron, integrating cloud-based analytics with industrial machinery, resulting in greater efficiency and reduced downtime, (ii) The global brain, the collective the intelligence of human beings across the globe integrated by digital communication, resulting in crowdsourcing, open collaboration, and a much faster pace of innovation, and (iii) Advanced manufacturing which weaves together design, product engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, distribution and servicing into one cohesive intelligent system, delivering greater speed and flexibility at lower costs (Mansour et al., 2019). ...
... It is about the digitalization of data and information exchange, advanced automation and robotics, through using Cyber-Physical System and AI. It is the convergence of operational, productivity and information tools, digital data exchange, global infrastructure connectivity, and edge computing (Mansour et al., 2019). The appearance of the 4.0 I.R. brought number of advantages including; increases productivity, reduces production costs, creates a safe work environment and produces very high quality of commodities and services. ...
Conference Paper
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This paper aims to highlight the concept, drivers, and applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4.0 I.R). Concepts of intellectual capital, human capital and knowledge economy are well defined with a broad explanation of role of each one of them from the maritime industry point of view. The descriptive method is used to review number of Arabic and English scholars and to determine the knowledge gap. The main outcomes of this study show that the rate of transformation in ports is considered as a phenomenal with the advent of new technologies in the era of the 4.0 I.R that driven by an exponential rate of technological and economic changes, as well as there is a shortage in the supply of marine officers worldwide. So, to overcome this issue interactive and collaborative relationship between maritime academies and the industry should be enhanced further.
... Their main feature is that they cannot be linked directly to a specific profession or activity, the use of them, and thus also the learning goals and methods are related to specific contexts. Scholars have stated that these kinds of skills are 'not directly teachable (e.g., Bereiter and Scardamalia, 2006) and 'traditional classroom methods cannot be applied in their learning' (Nealy, 2005;Mason et al., 2009;de Villiers, 2010). ...
... Moreover, it has been stated that the training of soft skills should begin during studies for the students to perform efficiently in their academic environment and in their future workplaces (Muir, 2004;García-Aracil & Van der Velden, 2008;de Villiers, 2010). While standardized methods exist for learning hard skills, this question remains quite open regarding soft skills (Nealy, 2005;Nikolov, Shoikova & Kovatcheva, 2014). ...
Article
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Published on Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Vol 23 (13),2023, pp. 19-23: Although Soft skills have been reported as indispensable elements of personal and organizational performance in business environments, their role in business education is not fully acknowledged. Being often considered as inborn abilities, guidelines for their development are needed. This study aims to provide business educators insights on essential soft skills and their promotion by asking business professionals to assess them in three dimensions. The results exhibit variations in the perceived significance of soft skills and suggest specific skills appropriate for bachelor-level business education. As a main contribution, the 3Si-Model is introduced. The findings are expected to be of interest for business teachers and curricula designers in Business Higher Education Institutions (HEI). Keywords: soft skills, soft skills indicator (3Si) model, young professionals, business schools
... Soft skills are interpersonal qualities, also known as people skills, attitudes, habits and personal attributes that one possesses or skills that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with (Vasanthakumari, 2019). According to James and James (2004), hard skills are no longer seen as the single most important skill set and Nealy (2005) supports this by stating that soft skills are often considered more important for productive performance in the modern tour operator sector. While technical skills are a part of many educational curricula, soft skills need further emphasis in curricula so that students learn the importance of soft skills early in their academic programs before they embark on a business career (Wellington, 2005). ...
... While technical skills are a part of many educational curricula, soft skills need further emphasis in curricula so that students learn the importance of soft skills early in their academic programs before they embark on a business career (Wellington, 2005). Much research has been done on the importance of soft skills in the workplace (Klaus, 2010;Mitchell et al., 2010;Nealy, 2005;Smith, 2007) but is scant in the realm of tourist guiding. This study aimed to determine the level of importance of the various skills of tourist guides from the perception of these professionals in South Africa because tourist guides' competencies play an important role in what feelings and knowledge visitors will develop at the end of guided tours which may lead to customer satisfaction. ...
Article
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Tourist guiding in South Africa is a sector of the tourism industry that is subject to regulation to acquire competence and skills to meet the guiding standards and to provide quality services to tourists. The research aims to explore the skill sets perceived by tourist guides as the most important in their professional practice to create a memorable tourist experience to ensure that skills perceived to be most important are considered during the guiding training course for present and future tourist guides to prepare them for both employment, long-life learning and enhance their performance to attain the highest level of customer satisfaction. This study made use of a descriptive quantitative research approach through an online survey research design to collect data. A non-random sample of 320 tourist guides was selected to participate in the study. Data from the online survey was coded into numerical representations and captured in Microsoft Excel. Descriptive statistics together with a confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyse and interpret the results. The results showed various skill sets perceived as the most important from the tourist guides' perspective, including honesty and reliability, ethical skills, time management, customer care skills, health and safety skills and communication skills.
... In the retail banking sector, the ever-increasing emphasis on providing 360°consultancy services (in multifunctional teams) and less and less specific technical services suggests a growing importance of managerial and relational skills such as customer care abilities, service encounter management, negotiation, team work and problem solving (Nickson et al., 2012;Targetjob, 2019). Ample research has been carried out on the importance of soft skills in the workplace (Klaus, 2010;Maes et al., 1997;Mitchell et al., 2010;Nealy, 2005;Smith, 2007). One study found that 75% of long-term job success depends on people skills (soft skills), while only 25% is dependent on technical knowledge (Klaus, 2010). ...
... This result could also, at least partially, explain why H2 is not supported. Because of the fact that soft skills are critical for productive performance in today's workplace, current business leaders are emphasizing the development of soft skills (Nealy, 2005). However, most research to date has been mainly anecdotal, based on common sense, or not applied to a change management context. ...
Article
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Purpose Drawing on Bandura’s social learning theory (SLT), the purpose of this paper is to investigate, analytically, the impact that after-training skills level (i.e. perceived skill match) has on change self-efficacy. Moreover, this research also aims to identify which specific skills sets (if any) act as a protective factor during organizational change, supporting the change confidence (CC) level of the people involved. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative research was carried out on a sample of 200 workers in the bank sector. Findings Findings of this study suggest that skill match has a significant impact on the CC level. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that, even in front-office jobs, a perceived skill match of soft skills does not have a significant impact on staff CC, unlike that suggested by common sense and by literature. Research limitations/implications Future research should investigate if and how a training process enables change self-efficacy over time or instead shows its utility only when it is relating to a specific and limited period. Practical implications This study suggests that in designing training, top and middle management should pay specific attention to change recipients’ needs by adopting a bottom-up approach. Moreover, to improve training effectiveness, it would be advisable to also train change recipients’ supervisors. Social implications This study has social implications in suggesting how to foster the adaptive capabilities of change recipients in current turbulent times. In doing so, it suggests how to prevent some undesirable change consequences such as anxiety, intention to quit, work-related stress and change cynicism. Originality/value This paper shows that, from a methodological point of view, it is necessary to evaluate training effectiveness at the level of a specific skill area and not simply by comparing the trained/not trained people, as typically practiced until now.
... Employers are likely to choose job candidates with soft skills over those with hard/technical skills [4] [6] and many business leaders expect higher learning institutions to develop the communication skills of their students and provide them with internship and practical experience opportunities before they graduate [7]. As a result of understanding the importance of communication skills for the success of their students in the long term, many business schools include the development of these skills in their curriculum [8] [9] [10]. As such, it has been reiterated that communication skills (oral, written, listening, and interpersonal) are critical for productive performance in a professional environment, and many employers look for communication skills in their new recruits. ...
... As such, it has been reiterated that communication skills (oral, written, listening, and interpersonal) are critical for productive performance in a professional environment, and many employers look for communication skills in their new recruits. However, it has been reported by employers and recruiters that many recent business graduates come to the workplace lacking communication skills [10] [11], even though they have adequate hard skills [3] [12]. ...
... Una investigación que también se encuentra relacionada con la formación de profesionales, es Integrating Soft Skills Through Active Learning In The Management Classroom (Integrando las habilidades blandas a través del aprendizaje activo en la gestión del aula), en la que Nealy (2005) hace hincapié en la importancia de las habilidades interpersonales en las organizaciones y cómo las instituciones deben formar para que el estudiante resuelva de forma eficiente las necesidades del lugar de trabajo del siglo XXI. El proyecto analiza la relación del aprendizaje activo con el desarrollo de habilidades blandas y la generación de estrategias para que los docentes de educación superior faciliten el proceso de enseñanza; se examinaron los materiales de cursos que presentaban un mayor enfoque en las habilidades sociales, desarrollados en respuesta a la demanda de los negocios y la industria. ...
... El proyecto analiza la relación del aprendizaje activo con el desarrollo de habilidades blandas y la generación de estrategias para que los docentes de educación superior faciliten el proceso de enseñanza; se examinaron los materiales de cursos que presentaban un mayor enfoque en las habilidades sociales, desarrollados en respuesta a la demanda de los negocios y la industria. A partir de este estudio, Nealy (2005) indica que un desafío para los instructores en la gestión del aula, es adaptar la instrucción a las poblaciones de estudiantes universitarios cambiantes con el fin de proporcionarles habilidades (como las blandas) que satisfagan las demandas de la industria y los negocios. ...
Article
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Las habilidades blandas han ido tomando gran relevancia en el ámbito académico y laboral, debido a que estas se relacionan con mayores posibilidades de empleabilidad y éxito profesional. El presente artículo es una revisión documental de tipo panorámica sobre dichas habilidades en diferentes contextos, cuyo objetivo es identificar las principales investigaciones y sus abordajes en torno al campo educativo, sobre todo en el contexto universitario, y el laboral. Para ello se revisaron y analizaron treinta estudios sobre el tema, a partir de los cuales se encontraron algunas tendencias, como, por ejemplo, que la mayoría de ellos estaban escritos en idioma inglés; que en los años 2009 y 2012 fue donde más se publicaron documentos sobre el tema; que la metodología más utilizada fue la cuantitativa; que existen diversas denominaciones para este tipo de habilidades, entre otras tendencias. Frente a las posibles limitaciones, se encontró que el abordaje en Latinoamérica sobre estas habilidades ha sido escaso, así como las publicaciones en español; sin embargo, en la última década se ha despertado un fuerte interés por el tema, por ello se espera que aumente el número de investigaciones y publicaciones al respecto. Se concluye que es necesario fortalecer la instrucción en competencia blandas en el contexto universitario, puesto que estas complementan las competencias duras, lo que permite una formación integral de los estudiantes y mayores probabilidades de ingresar y mantenerse en el mundo laboral, dado que son también una necesidad en estos contextos organizacionales.
... Una investigación que también se encuentra relacionada con la formación de profesionales, es Integrating Soft Skills Through Active Learning In The Management Classroom (Integrando las habilidades blandas a través del aprendizaje activo en la gestión del aula), en la que Nealy (2005) hace hincapié en la importancia de las habilidades interpersonales en las organizaciones y cómo las instituciones deben formar para que el estudiante resuelva de forma eficiente las necesidades del lugar de trabajo del siglo XXI. El proyecto analiza la relación del aprendizaje activo con el desarrollo de habilidades blandas y la generación de estrategias para que los docentes de educación superior faciliten el proceso de enseñanza; se examinaron los materiales de cursos que presentaban un mayor enfoque en las habilidades sociales, desarrollados en respuesta a la demanda de los negocios y la industria. ...
... El proyecto analiza la relación del aprendizaje activo con el desarrollo de habilidades blandas y la generación de estrategias para que los docentes de educación superior faciliten el proceso de enseñanza; se examinaron los materiales de cursos que presentaban un mayor enfoque en las habilidades sociales, desarrollados en respuesta a la demanda de los negocios y la industria. A partir de este estudio, Nealy (2005) indica que un desafío para los instructores en la gestión del aula, es adaptar la instrucción a las poblaciones de estudiantes universitarios cambiantes con el fin de proporcionarles habilidades (como las blandas) que satisfagan las demandas de la industria y los negocios. ...
Article
Full-text available
Las habilidades blandas han ido tomando gran relevancia en el ámbito académico y laboral, debido a que estas se relacionan con mayores posibilidades de empleabilidad y éxito profesional. El presente artículo es una revisión documental de tipo panorámica sobre dichas habilidades en diferentes contextos, cuyo objetivo es identificar las principales investigaciones y sus abordajes en torno al campo educativo, sobre todo en el contexto universitario, y el laboral. Para ello se revisaron y analizaron treinta estudios sobre el tema, a partir de los cuales se encontraron algunas tendencias, como, por ejemplo, que la mayoría de ellos estaban escritos en idioma inglés; que en los años 2009 y 2012 fue donde más se publicaron documentos sobre el tema; que la metodología más utilizada fue la cuantitativa; que existen diversas denominaciones para este tipo de habilidades, entre otras tendencias. Frente a las posibles limitaciones, se encontró que el abordaje en Latinoamérica sobre estas habilidades ha sido escaso, así como las publicaciones en español; sin embargo, en la última década se ha despertado un fuerte interés por el tema, por ello se espera que aumente el número de investigaciones y publicaciones al respecto. Se concluye que es necesario fortalecer la instrucción en competencia blandas en el contexto universitario, puesto que estas complementan las competencias duras, lo que permite una formación integral de los estudiantes y mayores probabilidades de ingresar y mantenerse en el mundo laboral, dado que son también una necesidad en estos contextos organizacionales.
... There is a demand to reduce the employee skill gap by increasing university graduate skills to compete in a global and competitive workplace (Nealy 2005). However, tutors may not welcome the idea of giving up traditional learning models. ...
... Students could listen, communicate their ideas, ask questions, relate to team demands, and understand cross-cultural relationships. Following Nealy (2005), we find matured students taking the initiative and responding to group demands' initial proposition. Few respondents mentioned how working with the group was difficult with unclear direction, collaborating everyone's efforts and getting everyone together to run through discussions and arguments. ...
Article
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There is a global competitive demand for graduates with soft skills, and higher education institutions are tasked to reduce the employee skill gap. Thus, we investigated the students' perceptions of peer assessment in facilitating engagement in soft-skill development through group work activities. Using group work to measure the effectiveness of students' feedback on their assessment, we posit that students perceive self-assessment in group work as a tool that represents fairness. By focusing on learning in a peer-assisted learning environment, the study is a two-period different observation on the effectiveness and validity of peer assessment practice. We applied a group learning model over two academic sessions to investigate if students can self-evaluate accurately in a peer-learning environment. The employed methods included both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The findings of the study differ from previous findings that students cannot self-assess accurately. Empirically, there was no significant difference between the peer marks and tutor marks. The study also found that peer learning improves students' quality of assessment as they reflect on their work better.
... Though important for critical productive performance, soft skills, are not taught implicitly. Robles, (2012), and Nealy, (2005) opined that they need to be made an important part of the academic programs. This view was further endorsed by Chamorro-Premuzic, Arteche, Bremner, Greven & Furnham (2010), who emphasized, that the responsibility of teaching these skills, rested on higher education institutes, as they were human capital providers. ...
Article
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Multicultural workspaces are a norm rather than an exception. Increasingly, business houses are recruiting graduates with intercultural competencies who are comfortable working with diverse people both, at home and abroad. Employees are required to interact with peers, customers, clients, and many others who are shaped by different values, beliefs and experiences. It is important therefore, that language classrooms become sites for teaching life skills. Each class is a microcosm of the global space-diverse in age, gender, religion, educational background, life experiences and socioeconomic strata. This diversity challenges teachers to make the classroom 'all inclusive' and help students to be 'mutually intelligible', work collaboratively, communicate across cultures, think critically, and develop ethical practices. This paper focuses on developing intercultural competencies through the 'analyze-present-writing' process in an Academic writing classroom. This process takes the students through two cycles of information processing using Socratic questioning, presenting, agreeing/disagreeing with the author's views, synthesizing information using outside sources finally leading to writing individual reports. Findings revealed that intercultural competency can be taught in classrooms. Students can acquire soft skills which will enable them to be work ready and be the conduit to bridge the gap between people belonging to different cultures, at the same time contributing to their own professional and personal growth.
... However, contemporary workplaces are demonstrating that mere technical skills are insuf�icient to secure employment [13]. Considering the crucial impact of interpersonal skills on boosting productivity in today's dynamic workplace, leaders are increasingly prioritizing the development of interpersonal skills [14]. Interpersonal skills, as characterized by Evenson [3], encompass a positive mindset, ef�icient communication, respectful engagement, and the ability to stay composed in challenging situations. ...
Article
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In today’s rapidly evolving world, marked by technological advancements, digitalization, and evolving environmental and social requirements, the construction industry is grappling with increasing project complexity. This complexity, in turn, impacts performance. Technical competences alone no longer ensure project success; instead, organizations with superior interpersonal skills are better positioned for success. Measures are being taken to enhance interpersonal skills in Norway’s construction industry. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of these measures and to explore potential variations in the need for key interpersonal skills among primary project partners and across different project phases. Data were collected through a literature review and semi-structured interviews conducted with selected informants from two large Statsbygg projects. The findings of this study underscore the crucial role of interpersonal skills in project success, a role that becomes more significant as projects increase in size and complexity. Despite the acknowledged importance of these skills within the Norwegian construction industry, measures to enhance them have not yielded the expected success. This study first outlines current measures to improve interpersonal skills, including the integration of collaboration in turnkey contracts, promotion of teamwork, effective meeting facilitation, onboarding processes, and co-location. It then identifies obstacles to these initiatives, such as the perceived difficulty in acquiring these skills, budget and time constraints, and uncertainties about the initiatives’ effectiveness. The study also explores potential differences in the need for key interpersonal skills among project partners, uncovering a shared need for skills like collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, with strategic thinking being an exception, primarily linked to the client’s role in the project’s early stage. While the research is focused on a specific segment of the Norwegian construction industry, it provides valuable, broadly applicable insights. Future research could strengthen these findings by expanding the scope to include more case projects and interviewees.
... Soft skills can be defined as a combination of personal qualities, habits, attitudes, and social graces which shape a good worker (Vasanthakumari, 2019), whereas hard skills refer to distinct behaviours and skills that can bring out something that is visible and direct from technical or practical aspects (Sopa et al., 2020). Employers are now expecting the employees to possess soft skills (Nealy, 2005). This is because they greatly impact employees' personality development which will allow them to use their knowledge and skills effectively and efficiently (Joshi, 2018). ...
Article
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English is widely used in the working environment globally. In Malaysia, many employers have English courses which relate to their job requirements. This is to help employees to become more competent, fluent, and confident in communicating in English while working. Besides academic qualifications, employers pay great attention to employees' English communication skills. This paper explores to what extent the Oral Communication Skill (OCS) Module for a training program can help improve Malaysian working adults' confidence levels in terms of fluency. It proposes that the activities in the OCS module are needed so that employees can speak fluently and, as a result, build their level of confidence. Three working adults were selected to use the module for 12 weeks. Their performances, interview responses, and reflective journal entries were recorded and analysed. The findings reported a growth in the participants' confidence as a result of increased fluency, the awareness of the need to reflect on their speaking performances and to have appropriate English preparation as a key element before delivering oral presentations.
... Studies emphasise that students' active engagement significantly contributes to improved learning outcomes (Hake, 1998;Hung, 2014;Kusumoto, 2018). Educators have long attempted to incorporate active learning in higher education institutions (Meyers & Jones, 1993) as a pedagogical enabler for preparing students for the demands of today's workplaces (Carlos et al., 2023; Hernández-de-Mené ndez et al., 2019; Hui et al., 2021;Nealy, 2005). The emphasis on the development of 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and teamwork in today's higher education is for this purpose. ...
Article
Educators view active learning as a pedagogical enabler for preparing students for the demands of today’s workplaces and equipping students with 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and teamwork. However, there seems to be a noticeable incongruity between the eagerness on the development of 21st century skills and the learning spaces where these skills are intended to be acquired. The significance of learning spaces and their potential for facilitating or impeding students’ active engagement should not be overlooked. Considering the indispensability of technology in today's world, its integration becomes crucial not only in today's pedagogy and curriculum but also in the design of learning spaces. This study aims to investigate teachers’ perspectives of teaching in a technology-enhanced active learning (TEAL) classroom by exploring their experiences of using the TEAL classrooms, the factors affecting their experiences, and how these factors shape teaching experiences from the viewpoint of teacher participants. This study adopts a mixed methods approach where quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis are incorporated to address the research questions. Findings of the study suggest that the majority of classroom users had a positive overall impression of the TEAL classrooms with some discussing the challenges they encountered. Analysis of the data shows both classroom-related and non-classroom related factors influencing teachers’ teaching experiences. Classroom-related factors encompass aspects such as classroom layout and the technology embedded within the classroom environment. On the other hand, non-classroom related factors are classified into course-related, teacher-related, and student-related factors.
... Lecturing was negatively associated with teaching communication skills and unrelated to other skill domains. The use of active-learning strategies was associated with emphasis on teaching communication and collaboration skills, in keeping with prior work on the benefits of active learning for developing broadbased skills (Coelho & Martins, 2022;Nealy, 2005). Though relatively few graduate students reported teaching research methodology in their classes (e.g., through data collection and labs), such instruction was positively associated with emphasis on analytical inquiry, collaboration, and professional development skills. ...
Article
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Higher education standards emphasize the importance of developing broad-based “employable” skills in undergraduate coursework. This study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, examined how graduate students employed as college instructors (N = 151, 67.5% psychology) addressed skill development in online courses. Instructors completed the Teaching Employable Skills survey (Che et al., 2021), the Teachers’ Awareness of Goals of Students scale (Saltzman et al., 2018), and Likert-scale measures of teaching strategies. Instructors gave higher ratings and provided more examples of teaching analytic inquiry and communication skills than collaboration or professional development skills on the Teaching Employable Skills survey. Awareness of students’ goals correlated positively with teaching skills. We used principal component analysis to identify clusters of related teaching strategies: lecturing/testing, research methodology, active learning, and online tools. Utilizing research methodology, active learning, and online tools was positively associated with skill development, unlike lecturing/testing. Psychology instructors utilized research methodology and active-learning strategies less than instructors in other disciplines. Results suggest that instructors may benefit from pedagogical training specifically focused on effective strategies for developing students’ skills in online courses.
... According to Glenn (2008), employing people who possess soft skills is one of the main requirements for employers because of their ability to effectively perform roles in organizations to maintain competition. Moreover, Nealy (2005) emphasizes that current and future business leader's focus on developing interpersonal skills because they recognize that interpersonal skills are essential to mastering performance in the workplace today. A study by Klaus (2010) finds that 75% of long (term career success depends on soft skills, while only 25% depends on technical knowledge. ...
Article
The aim of this study is to identify the skills of accounting graduates required in the labor market, and to find whether the academic education of accounting keeps pace with the developments occurring in the business world. To this end, a questionnaire was distributed to a sample consisting of forty academics and forty professionals. The study reached a number of results, the most prominent of which is the presence of a statistically significant differences among the skills of accounting students that meet the requirements of the labor market from the point of view of professionals. Additionally, the presence of statistically significant differences of the extent of agreement between professionals and academics on the importance of the skills of accounting students that meet the needs of the labor market. However, the results show an absence of a statistically significant differences among the skills of accounting students that meet the requirements of the labor market from the point of view of academics. It is recommended that institutions of higher education provide sufficient flexibility towards the modification of curricula, and establish joint programs with relevant industries that help universities provide the needs of employers.
... Currently, business leaders emphasize soft skills development and acquisition in job application just like hard skills. They consider that soft skills have a critical influence on productive performance in workplaces (Nealy, 2005;Robles, 2012). ...
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Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are blamed for being insouciant about the business world and not efficiently steeling students with employment abilities. As a reply to this exigency from business owners, HEIs have started to show commitment to graduate employability through developing and adopting new educational material, such Serious Games (SGs), to help students acquire these soft skills. This paper explores the students’ perceptions of the significance of SGs on soft skills and therefore boosting graduate employability. We carried out a quantitative and qualitative study with 322 students from business colleges in the aim to focus on the impact of user experience in SGs on critical thinking and teamwork. The results highlight the strong influence of SGs to acquire these soft skills.
... Technical skills were formally the only skills necessary for career employment but in today's workplace technical skills are not enough to keep individuals employed especially when companies cutting positions and are right-sizing [60]. Because soft skills are critical for productive performance in today's workplace, current and future business leaders are emphasizing the development of soft skills [61]. ...
... However, including a discussion component in a class offers numerous advantages. Interpersonal skills, often known as soft skills, are vital in the workplace and include listening, communication, cross-cultural connection and team problem-solving skills, among other things [39]. The insufficient development of these talents is a drawback of adopting traditional learning. ...
Article
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Active learning has been increasingly important in tertiary education in recent years due to its powerfully favourable impact on students’ learning attitudes and efficacy. Indeed, the way that a classroom is set up has a direct impact on how well students learn and how well teachers teach. The continuous evaluation of students’ learning performance is essential for guiding future classroom renovations and creating a cutting-edge learning environment for both students and teachers. The aims of this paper were to provide a better understanding of the latest development trend of learning mode preference in tertiary education and to investigate any underlying similarities and differences in the perceptions between teachers and students. To support both teaching and learning, an empirical questionnaire survey was conducted among teachers and students in Hong Kong to assess the effectiveness of various active learning techniques and passive learning techniques adopted in tertiary education. Opinion-based data were collected on the perceived benefits and disadvantages of both learning techniques as well as the importance of various classroom design features. To determine the significance of the variations in opinions between teachers and students on the survey responses, descriptive statistical analyses using the mean score and Mann–Whitney U-test were carried out. The results of the Mann–Whitney U-test on the advantages of traditional learning showed that the following variables significantly varied: ‘direct information from the teacher’; ‘timesaving (group discussion may waste time)’ and ‘allow more time for Q&A’. These advantages were generally rated higher from the viewpoint of students rather than teachers. However, no significant difference was established concerning the limitations of traditional learning. The findings of this study can help teachers and instructors to understand how different teaching and learning methods affect students’ ability to learn effectively, which can ultimately help institutional policymakers to determine the necessary essential requirements for orchestrating classroom designs to create more conducive teaching and learning environments. The findings also aim to inform policymakers and educational institutions on the impact of pedagogical change on the fundamental design requirements for a flexible classroom environment supportive of students’ active learning, especially in tertiary education.
... Contudo, hoje é claro que estas, por si só, não são suficientes para o bom desempenho de todas as funções laborais e os líderes das organizações enfatizam cada vez mais o seu interesse pelas soft skills e a importância destas no momento de contratar novos colaboradores (James & James, 2004). Os estudos desenvolvidos com o objetivo de perceber o peso de cada uma destas competências para o sucesso no local de trabalho (Klaus, 2010;Mitchell et al., 2010;Nealy, 2005;Smith, 2007) concluíram que cerca de 75% a 85% do sucesso se deve às soft skills. Embora as competências técnicas que constituem as hard skills sejam uma componente essencial para o desempenho das funções laborais, as competências interpessoais, que constituem o conjunto de soft skills do profissional, assumem uma importância preponderante e decisiva para a manutenção e/ou progressão na carreira. ...
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A passagem da intervenção precoce no desenvolvimento infantil de uma perspectiva de estimulação para uma abordagem centrada na família implica uma mudança significativa na prática dos profissionais, ao nível técnico e das suas interações e transações com a criança e a família. Competências técnicas e características pessoais interligam-se, e a intervenção representa uma verdadeira relação de ajuda. As soft skills têm vindo a ser investigadas no âmbito de diversas profissões e carreiras e a sua importância tem sido sublinhada. Contudo, este é um estudo pioneiro em que se procura perceber como também os profissionais de Intervenção Precoce na Infância (IPI) valorizam estas dimensões não técnicas. O estudo foi realizado com 247 profissionais de equipas que integram o Sistema Nacional de Intervenção Precoce na Infância, que se pronunciaram sobre a importância das soft skills para a sua prática, através de um questionário com 48 itens. Os resultados obtidos apontam para a valorização de todas as competências identificadas na literatura, sendo especialmente relevantes a empatia, escuta ativa e trabalho em equipa. Foi analisada a valorização das soft skills em função das variáveis idade, género, formação e experiência, tendo os resultados mostrado que só muito pontualmente existem diferenças significativas. Os resultados obtidos são relevantes para uma nova forma de conceber e organizar a formação dos profissionais de IPI, assente no desenvolvimento de competências. Mostram como é importante que o conhecimento teórico sobre o desenvolvimento infantil e os modelos de intervenção se alie à promoção de competências pessoais exigidas pela natureza relacional do seu trabalho.
... The importance of soft skills in professional activity is noted by Ravindranath who emphasizes the need to master them in curricula at all levels of study [31]. Nealy believes that active forms of learning developed in response to business needs can be a good tool for developing soft skills [32]. Sudana et al., investigating the possibilities of managing the assessment of soft skills in the process of studying at a vocational school, noted that about 10% of graduates cannot find a job due to the fact that the results of their education are poorly evaluated. ...
Chapter
Modern multilingual world provokes university graduates to master not only natural languages, but also the languages of signs and technologies. Multilingualism, as a new form of literacy, implies mastering other ways of communication, not only verbal-linguistic ones. The paper considers the impact of project-based learning on the formation of traditional hard skills, necessary soft skills, and mastering of visual-image engineering language, which implies publicly available presentation of the results of project activities. The experience of Ural Federal University in organizing project competitions on behalf of employers’ partners aimed at solving urgent problems of the society is considered. Close interaction between employers and the university allows employers to participate in training future employees for their company, solving their production problems, and universities to improve the quality of the educational process and the demand for graduates in the labor market. The use of the project-based learning method allows students on the one hand to consistently explore and delve into the details of the problem under study, using the hard skills available. Group work on projects develops soft skills that involve communication and collaborative project work in a project team. The need to present the results of one’s work enhances engineering language proficiency. The results of the survey of the participants of the project activities are presented. It is concluded that the educational tool used is successful. The obtained research results have practical significance and can be used in the organization of the educational process in higher educational institutions.
... Oleh karena itu sebanyak 77% pengusaha sepakat dalam proses perekrutan karyawan, soft skill dijadikan pertimbangan yang posisinya sama penting dengan hard skill (Paolini, 2015). Soft skill yang dimaksud meliputi pemecahan masalah (Nealy, 2005), loyalitas, penampilan (Jennifer, 2013), serta berkomunikasi dengan klien dan kolega (Myers et all, 2014;Cimatti, 2016). ...
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The purpose of this study was to examine the independent variables, namely soft skills and work experience on the dependent variable of work readiness through work motivation as a mediating variable. The population in this study was students in the 2018 Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) Department of PGRI Semarang University, which amounted to 167 people. Sampling in this study used a saturated sample. The sample in this study were all students of economics and business class 2018, totaling 167 people. Collecting data in this study using a questionnaire. The analytical method used is the Structural Equation Model (SEM) with Smart PLS 3.2.9 analysis tool. The results showed that the research model had met the validity and reliability of the construct on the SEM assumption with Smart PLS 3.2.9 so that the model was declared feasible. Based on data analysis, it can be concluded that: 1) Soft skills and work readiness of students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang, 2) Internship experience and work readiness of students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang, 3) Work motivation and work readiness of students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang, 4) Soft skills and Work Motivation of Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University of Semarang, 5) Internship experience and work motivation of students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang, 6) Indirect influence of soft skills on work readiness of Faculty Students Economics and Business PGRI Semarang University through work motivation, 7) Internship experience and work readiness Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang through work motivation
... The industry often asks for professionals with generic skills that are applicable in different working environments and in society in general (Chamorro-Premuzic et al., 2010;Regueiro et al., 2021). A broader skill set appears to be necessary for a technological, competitive, and global 21st century workforce (Nealy, 2005) and to be able to deal with wicked problems (Berg et al., 2021). Examples of generic skills are the ability to collaborate, communicate appropriately, plan and prioritise, and reflect (Andrews and Higson, 2008;Chamorro-Premuzic et al., 2010;Pache and Chowdhury, 2012). ...
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Professionals are increasingly confronted with complex problems that require generic skills. These generic skills are important for a variety of domains and contexts. As the evaluation of such skills can be difficult, this paper reported on the development of the Generic Skills Learning Systematic. With this systematic, university students’ self-perceived generic skills learning after following a complex problem-solving course can be evaluated. The systematic was developed by analysing 43 learner reports in an iterative process, in which students described what they had learned during the course. A formative audit was performed to increase and ensure quality. The Generic Skills Learning Systematic consists of two steps. Step one is identifying students’ learning, where learning is viewed as any described change in generic skills. The changes are called learning categories for which five were distinguished: value, understanding, self-level, intention, and progress. Three checks are described to help with identifying the reported changes in students. In step two, generic skills are identified, using an adapted version of an existing categorisation resulting in 36 generic skills in total. Next, the application of the systematic is described and frequency distributions are given to provide insight into the usability of the systematic for educators. The results show that students report learning in a variety of learning categories and generic skills, indicating the broadness of learning in such a complex problem-solving course. In conclusion, educators are advised to rethink the choices made in education regarding the instruction and assessment of students. Broadening our scope of learning and paying attention to the different learning categories can aid the development of the professionals of the future.
... Social interaction is a major principle in active learning, according to social constructivist learning theory (Vygotsky 1978). Leadership skills, managing conflicts, making timely decision, effective communication, and trust building are among the social/interpersonal skills promoted by engaged teamwork (Nealy 2005;Schulz 2008). Alternating roles within the group that encourage different perspectives and proficiencies (such as spokesperson, recorder, and timekeeper) leads to improved interpersonal skills (Smith 1996). ...
Article
Engaging students in learning is a basic principle of effective undergraduate education. Outcomes of engaging students include meaningful learning experiences and enhanced skills in all learning domains. This chapter reviews the influence of engaging students in different forms of active learning on cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skill development.
... Thus, soft skills cease to play the role of ancillary skills or an element extending industry competences and are increasingly treated on a par with hard skills (Wong et al., 2006;Balcar, 2016;World Economic Forum, 2020). Soft skills increase employee productivity (Nealy, 2005), their retention (Bruce, 2017) and strengthen leadership by building the internal culture of the organization (Deloitte, 2016 and 2021). ...
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The purpose of this article is to present and analyze the results of research on soft skills that increase employability in the financial sector. The article presents not only a diagnosis of the importance of soft skills in the banking and financial industry, but also indicates which soft skills may be poised to increase employability, which skills are lacking among new entrants in the job market of the banking and financial industry, and how soft skills training is perceived among industry participants. Finally, the importance of these variables in the banking and financial industry has been compared with their importance in other industries. JEL classification: J21, J24, G20, G40
... In collaborative learning, students also develop their communication and collaboration skills through social learning. It causes the increment of trust, harmony, and group accountability among members in a team (Nealy, 2005;Stalp and Hill, 2019). ...
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Active learning is an important shift in pedagogical paradigms in recent decades. Previous studies establish many benefits from this learning strategy. However, an implementation is challenging. This study aimed to clarify an explanation of the benefits and challenges of active learning from various educational field students’ perspectives. This study was conducted in a general education course at Chulalongkorn University. Underpinning with a mixed-method study, 22 undergraduates were interviewed in a focus group study. Results were analyzed with deductive thematic analysis and contributed to 23 items in close-ended questionnaires for a cross-sectional quantitative survey study. Notably, 222 undergraduates revealed their attitude toward active learning including benefits and challenges. Quantitative data were analyzed with analytical statistics including the Mann-Whitney U test, and these results are supported by thick descriptions derived from the qualitative data. This study revealed students’ attitude in benefits of active learning dividing into cognitive domain, student efficacy, and 21st century skills, and also challenges of active learning in teachers, students, and pedagogical aspects. Health science undergraduates tended to agree that active learning exposure enhances effective active learning than non-health science undergraduates (U = 2843, p = 0.029). An educational theory is also discussed with these results, and an educational implication to achieve an effective learning strategy is presented in this study.
... The findings of this study suggest that students understand and appreciate the importance of soft skill concepts and implement these skills to enhance their performance. Although not common in the health science or pharmacy profession, soft skill training is desirable in management programmes and improves the marketability of students (Nealy, 2005). ...
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Objective: The objective of this study is to introduce short stories and motivational messages on soft skills in pharmacy didactic courses to improve classroom engagement. Methods: Surveys were then conducted on the impact of students’ understanding of soft skills and their impact on classroom engagement. Results: The survey results from the two classes (2022 and 2023) of first year students showed that they gained an understanding of soft skills appropriately. The strategy also improved their classroom engagement and well-being. A further survey from a class of 2023 third year students indicated the strategy continued to be helpful in subsequent years. The results from students’ feedback also showed that students generally appreciated the strategy, and it helped them stay positive and engaged in the classroom. Conclusion: Overall, the study concluded that this unique delivery of soft skill information helped students in classroom engagement and helped them learn various soft skill sets.
... Decorrente da mudança de paradigma educativo, começaram a ser incorporados nos currículos académicos diferentes programas que procuraram desenvolver esta lacuna na formação dos alunos. Uma das abordagens mais comuns, foi criar situações práticas, em que os alunos se vissem envolvidos em actividades(Beard e tal, 2007;Bowers& Metcalf, 2008;Nealy, 2005;Martins, 2007;Ow, 2008;Silva & Tribolet, 2007).Aquilo a que chamaríamos "modelo de abordagem experiencial", assenta na ideia de que as competências não cognitivas são sobretudo comportamentais e que são ganhas através da prática, quer em situações de trabalho, quer na realização de actividades que requeiram competências valorizadas pelo mercado de trabalho. Os alunos são, tipicamente, convidados a envolverem-se em actividades com um carácter relativamente predefinido, das quais resultam relatórios ou apresentações representativos das tarefas desenvolvidas. ...
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Pretende-se partilhar os resultados do estudo feito na rea da avalia o da sintomatologia psicol gica que podem contribuir para reflectir sobre a inclus o do desporto numa configura o de ajuda na vida de um ser humano em sofrimento psicol gico. Est provado que o Desporto faz bem sa de f sica, mas h um longo caminho a percorrer para provar que o desporto faz bem sa de mental. Ser que os sujeitos que praticam desporto t m menos indicadores de sintomatologia psicol gica do que os sujeitos que n o praticam desporto? O estudo encontrou pouca sintomatologia psicol gica no grupo de estudantes de EFD (Educa o F sica e Desporto). Avaliou-se os ndices de solid o e tamb m n o apresentam n veis clinicamente significativos. Os resultados mostram que quem est ligado ao desporto, de certa forma parece ter poucos ind cios de mal-estar psicol gico e poucos n veis de solid o.
... Decorrente da mudança de paradigma educativo, começaram a ser incorporados nos currículos académicos diferentes programas que procuraram desenvolver esta lacuna na formação dos alunos. Uma das abordagens mais comuns, foi criar situações práticas, em que os alunos se vissem envolvidos em actividades(Beard e tal, 2007;Bowers& Metcalf, 2008;Nealy, 2005;Martins, 2007;Ow, 2008;Silva & Tribolet, 2007).Aquilo a que chamaríamos "modelo de abordagem experiencial", assenta na ideia de que as competências não cognitivas são sobretudo comportamentais e que são ganhas através da prática, quer em situações de trabalho, quer na realização de actividades que requeiram competências valorizadas pelo mercado de trabalho. Os alunos são, tipicamente, convidados a envolverem-se em actividades com um carácter relativamente predefinido, das quais resultam relatórios ou apresentações representativos das tarefas desenvolvidas. ...
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We share the results of a study done in the area of assessment of psychological symptoms which will hopefully help to reflect about the inclusion of sport in a setting aid in the life of a human being with psychological distress. It is proved that sport is good for physical health, but there is a long way to go to prove that sport is good for your mental health. Do the guys who play sports have less indicators of psychological symptoms than subjects who do not practice sport? The study found little psychological symptoms in the group of students from PES (Physical Education and Sport). We evaluated the levels of loneliness in this group of students and did not show clinically significant levels. The results show that those who are connected to sports, somehow seems to have little evidence of psychological discomfort and few levels of loneliness.
... Se ha realizado un diseño de investigación no experimental, de tipo exploratorio, basado en el uso de un a las competencias interpersonales. Dichas competencias incluyen habilidades de comunicación oral y escrita, trabajo colaborativo, liderazgo, planificación y compromiso, entre otras (Nealy, 2005;Goleman, 2016;Ibarra, 2020). Reciben esta denominación, contrastándolas con las hard skills que están relacionadas con las competencias específicas necesarias para el adecuado desempeño profesional. ...
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En el contexto universitario actual existe la necesidad de implementar estrategias metodológicas que ofrezcan a los estudiantes escenarios formativos orientados al aprendizaje y evaluación apoyada en tecnología, tanto de competencias específicas, propias del perfil profesional, como de competencias genéricas o transversales, que les permitan el desarrollo eficaz en el ámbito personal, académico, social y laboral y, a su vez, seguir aprendiendo a lo largo de la vida. Desde esta premisa se presenta una investigación llevada a cabo durante el semestre 2020-1 y 2020-2 en el Programa de Licenciatura en Educación Infantil de la Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Pamplona, Colombia, con el objetivo de implementar un procedimiento para el aprendizaje y e-Evaluación del trabajo colaborativo mediante Moodle. En este estudio han participado 105 estudiantes. Se ha realizado un diseño de investigación no experimental, de tipo exploratorio basado en el uso del cuestionario con preguntas abiertas como instrumento de recogida de información. Los resultados muestran que, desde la percepción de estudiantes y docente, el trabajo colaborativo se puede aprender y evaluar mediante un procedimiento electrónico fundamentado en estilos de aprendizaje, aprendizaje basado en problemas y juego de roles.
... But, soft skills are especially important to higher-level managers who are required to deal with strategic issues or to those who deal mainly with people dimension. Because soft skills make people socially adjusted (Wilhelm, 2004) and they are critical for productive performance in today's workplace (Nealy, 2005), today's organizations are emphasizing the learning and application of the soft skills. ...
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Regardless the type of organization, the efficient functioning of today's organizations demands broader set of managerial skills different from what were required earlier. However, there is lack of studies identifying comprehensive and updated typology of managerial skills particularly in the developing country contexts like Nepal. In this context, this paper mainly aims to identify the patterns of managerial skills found in the extant literature and propose a comprehensive and updated typology of managerial skills. The study is descriptive-cum-analytical and is based on a review of extant literature. Narrative review of literature suggested that despite the lack of consensus regarding what managerial skills actually mean, they are instrumental to organizational effectiveness. Though there is ongoing legacy of Katz's typology of managerial skills, several other typologies also prevail today. Synthesis of the major typologies of managerial skills revealed twenty-three specific skills that can be arranged under five broad categories of managerial skills-intra-personal, interpersonal, group, decision-making and problem solving, and technical. This paper can serve as a guide to universities and employers seeking to identify the managerial skills gap among their graduates as well as managers and design necessary interventions accordingly. Institutions that offer management training and development programs may also use the suggested typology to redefine their training and development curricula. Researchers may also use the framework of suggested typology of managerial skills to design their research for identifying the current status as well as skills gap in a chosen context.
... That is, technical or hard skills are no longer enough to maintain productivity, engagement and customer satisfaction. Businesses now place importance on soft skills such as interpersonal skills and personal attributes such as personality, likeability, communication, courtesy, integrity, time management, work ethic, teamwork, leadership and customer service (Nealy, 2005). Yet, as Lavender (2019) notes, soft skills are more difficult to acquire or change, hence the emphasis on hiring people with the right attitude. ...
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It is estimated that by 2050 as many as five billion bicycles could be in use globally. Reasons for this growth vary, with utility cycling strong in Europe and Asia; while in the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand cycling is a sport and leisure activity, with cycling deemed the ‘new golf’. Within this context, there is a rise in community or local bike shops (or LBS) which sell bicycles, related equipment and services. This qualitative study explored LBSs in greater Johannesburg, focusing on who the entrepreneurs are, how they service their clients, and what links the sector has to serious leisure. It was found that the owners demonstrated high levels of serious leisure cycling engagement and passion for the sport. A sense of being part of a bigger cycling community strongly influenced their entrepreneurial practices. This included how they ran their businesses, the employees they hired, as well as how they viewed cycling in general. The research also yielded insights into operational and sectoral realities, trends and challenges. Generally, it was found that the local bike shops in greater Johannesburg are key players in the supply, growth and development of sport and leisure cycling, thereby making a positive contribution to the cycling community. This is important in the light of the COVID-19 challenges experienced by the sport and leisure sector, as a loss of these shops will likely have a negative impact on cycling in Johannesburg.
... Regardless of the difficulty of defining the concept and scope of soft skills, the importance of teaching soft skills in higher education is felt. Today, communication skills, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills, including listening, problem-solving, and cultural awareness, are essential (Nealy, 2005). Soft skills could also be categorized into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and additional skills and knowledge. ...
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Over the past 20 years, work, play, and learning have changed dramatically through technology. Today, we need different skills than in the 20th century, and educational institutions have a key role to play in developing skills. Unfortunately, schools are unable to keep pace with the development of skills that are essential elements of student success. Educators around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of soft skills and play a huge role in ensuring that students are properly prepared for the world of university and work. In contrast, traditional education does not always provide the right tools to improve student success in this area. Following the recent shift from traditional didactic classroom models to the adoption of active learning approaches, escape rooms are increasingly being used in academia as a method for experiential, peer-group, game-based learning. Educational escape rooms are emerging as a new type of learning activity under the promise of enhancing students’ learning through highly engaging experiences. The paper aims to present opportunities to develop soft skills in the school setting using educational escape rooms. The study also reports on testing the self-developed escape room environment for educational purposes.
... For that, they do not set enhancing students' soft skills as one of their educational goals and resist investing in students training soft cornering skills. Meanwhile, Nealy (2005) and Bailly and Lene (2013) stated that soft skills are a fundamental component of students' competencies and areas the topic skills in the business and industrial world. Therefore, they develop the service labour process to become highly epitomized and personified. ...
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This paper examines Islamic undergraduate students’ awareness and perceptions of the importance of soft skills for education and future career among undergraduate students of Islamic Studies at King Khalid University. The study is carried out to redirect the focus of undergraduate students' training and development goals to the acquisition of soft skills, which have a very high effect on improving undergraduate student’s performances. This study aims to discover student awareness and perception towards the importance of soft skills among engineering students. This study adopted a quantitative research approach. A questionnaire was administered and used to gather the data. Also, the questionnaire was specifically designed to examine the importance of soft skills for education and future career for Islamic Studies undergraduate students. The target population in this study consisted of 4500 Islamic undergraduate students. The purposive sample was 300 students were randomly selected from the population with an 85 percent confidence level within 0.05 risk of sampling error. The findings of the study indicated that Islamic undergraduate students at King Khalid University were aware of the importance of soft skills for their education and future carrier as well. Participants ranked the following soft skills as the essential skills for Islamic undergraduate students' improving decision making, besides a greater willingness to accept the ideas of others, improving leadership skills, oral and verbal communication, a gain in self-confidence, small group discussions, and learned more about technology and various applications. They thought soft skills are important for accelerating students’ academic performance and developing the learning environment while less important for finding a better job opportunity and considering it a primary employment requirement by modern workplaces.
... Soft skills sangat berpengaruh terhadap kinerja dan prestasi karyawan (Robles, 2012). Soft skills sangat penting untuk produktifitas kerja karena para pemberi kerja saat ini lebih menekankan pada perkembangan soft skills daripada hard skills (Nealy, 2005). Hal ini didukung oleh hasil penelitian yang menunjukkan bahwa 75% keberhasilan pekerjaan ditentukan oleh soft skills dan hanya 25% yang ditentukan oleh hard skills (Abbas et al, 2013). ...
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ABSTRAK Menulis merupakan salah satu keterampilan yang harus dimiliki oleh mahasiswa tingkat akhir untuk menyusun karya ilmiah. Keterampilan menulis juga menjadi modal penting bagi lulusan untuk bersaing di dunia kerja. Namun demikian, penguasaan keterampilan menulis masih menjadi tantangan tersendiri bagi sebagian mahasiswa. Kesulitan tersebut timbul dari ketidakmampuan memanfaatkan software penulisan secara maksimal dan kurangnya pemahaman akan konsep plagiat serta pencarian literatur yang berkualitas. Berdasarkan hal tersebut, kegiatan pengabdian ini dilakukan melalui pelatihan dan pemberian materi terkait keterampilan menulis. Peserta pelatihan berasal dari perguruan tinggi negeri dan swasta yang ada di Kota Malang dengan jumlah 100 peserta. Pengabdian dilaksanakan secara daring menggunakan platform Zoom dengan durasi selama 10 jam. Materi yang diberikan antara lain, ialah pemaksimalan fitur Ms. Word dan Mendeley untuk daftar pustaka. Tindak lanjut diberikan melalui penugasan dan umpan balik terkait materi pelatihan. Hasil survei menunjukkan bahwa peserta pengabdian memperoleh pemahaman terkait pemanfaatan software penulisan. Peserta mampu mensitasi dan menggunakan fitur Ms. Word untuk mengoptimalkan penulisan karya ilmiah. Kata kunci: artikel ilmiah; mahasiswa; penulisan ABSTRACT Writing is an important skill to be possessed by graduates to obtain jobs. This skill is also needed, especially for final year students to write their thesis. However, academic writing poses a challenge for many students. This challenge is due to a lack of understanding in searching for quality literature, inability to use writing software, including the misunderstanding of the plagiarism concepts. This public service activities were conducted for 10 hours by providing training to maximise the use of Ms. Word and Mendeley also explaining the characteristics of academic writing. The participants of this public service activities were 100 public and private university students in Malang. Participants were provided online training materials in relation to the use of Ms. Word to assist academic writing and the use of Mendeley to properly cited prior studies. Assessments related to the course materials were designed and feedbacks were provided to the participants. Based on the evaluation survey, participants agreed that the activities improve their knowledge and skills to use Ms. Word dan Mendeley for academic writing. Participants are able to cite properly by using Mendeley and use Ms. Word to accelerate academic paper writing.
... These concerns are linked not only to how the simulation is built into the course, but also on the ability of the faculty to provide structure so that the simulation feels real to students. Nealy (2005) used an in-class simulation of an upper division management course that paired first-generation students with second-generation students to determine how simulation exercises helped improve communication, trust, and cultural awareness. Although Nealy's sample size was small (twenty first-generation students), her initial findings were positive, demonstrating that simulations improved interpersonal skills for first-generation and second-generation students. ...
Article
Scholars have detailed the benefits of active learning, particularly the impact that simulations can have on promoting engagement and evaluative thinking. Scholars have discussed the positive effects of active learning on first-generation college students, but there is minimal research on how simulations contribute to developing interpersonal skills, especially among first-generation college students. Interpersonal skills, often referred to as soft skills, are challenging to quantify since they focus on how individuals relate and interact with others. These skills include oral and written communication, teamwork, confidence, and leadership skills. This article examines whether stimulations taught within an active learning environment contributed to developing interpersonal skills among first-generation college students. In a retrospective survey administered at a single campus, our findings suggest that active learning contributes to the building of cultural capital for first-generation college students and also contributes developing interpersonal skills for both first-generation and second-generation college students.
... Other researchers [8,9,10] have also offered that the use of technology along with hands-on learning activities offer greater likelihood of knowledge retention, transfer and sharing. With the prevailing global knowledge economy, academic institutions from high school to colleges and universities continue to face the challenge of ensuring that their students will have the right combination of technical, professional, and sociocultural skills to be ready for the workplace and for active citizenship upon graduation [11,12]. As a result, it is critical for learning or training efforts, irrespective of the complexity level or delivery mode, to be designed and taught in a manner that allows the mastery of hard and soft skills and competencies. ...
Chapter
Recently, there has been a significant spike in the level of ideation with, and deployment of, extended reality (XR) tools and applications in many aspects of the digital workplace. It is also projected that acceptance and use of XR technology to improve work performance will continue to grow in the coming decade. However, there has not been a robust level of adoption and implementation of XR technology, to include augmented reality (AR), mixed-reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR) within academic institutions, training organizations, government agencies, business entities, and community or professional associations. This paper examines the current literature to determine how XR and related technologies have been explored, evaluated, or used in educational and training activities. As part of the literature review, we paid special attention on how XR tools, applications are being deployed to increase work and career readiness, performance, and resiliency of students, adult learners, and working professionals. Results from the study showed that XR applications are being used, often at pilot-testing levels, in disciplines such as medicine, nursing, and engineering. The data also show that many academic institutions and training organizations have yet to develop concrete plans for wholesale use and adoption of XR technologies to support teaching and learning activities.
... One of the main issues faced by students then, is how to gain access to opportunities that promote these highly sought-after skills. It is widely accepted that one opportunity to teach non-technical workplace skills in higher education is through active learning events (Nealy, 2005). ...
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The era in which we live is characterized by profound and significant global changes in economic, social, political, and technological aspects, which, in conjunction with globalization, have made it necessary to adapt to new data (Kanokorn et al., 2014; Lavrysh, 2016). The evolution of technology and the transition from the industrial age to the information society could not leave the labor market unaffected, as the skills demanded by workers have changed over time (Robles, 2012). Employers are increasingly looking for employees with developed soft skills to be able to cope with the complex and demanding modern environment, as they agree that the level of soft skills development among university graduates does not meet the real needs of the labor market (skill gap) (Cimatti, 2016; Lavrysh, 2016; Pisoni et al. 2019). This study investigates the development of soft skills in early childhood educators who attended Greek higher education programmes (Preschool Education, Early Childhood Education and Care in the cities of Athens, Thessaloniki, and Ioannina), and more specifically, the skills they have developed to a greater and lesser degree, as well as the degree to which demographic data affect these skills. The research conducted showed that the soft skills of early childhood educators are satisfactorily developed, as the four skill groups they were asked to evaluate, have an average score of more than 3/4. In addition, a correlation was found between demographics and the level of soft skills development.
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In order to achieve success in a competitive modern business environment, ambitious professionals in different fields are constantly striving to develop a whole range of different skills. In recent years, in addition to possessing skills that are closely related to the profession itself, often referred to as technical skills, success and career advancement are becoming very closely related to personal skills, including: skills to achieve coherent interpersonal relationships, negotiation skills, conflict management, leadership skills, organizational skills, critical thinking, emotion management, etc. Teaching these skills is becoming a remarkably important segment of the educational process. English language courses at university level, particularly business English courses, can play a very important role in developing these skills with young people and preparing them for their future careers. The aim of this paper was to explore ways in which personal skills could be given greater attention in business English courses, not only via content in business English textbooks where special attention is paid to the development of personal skills, but also through other various creative activities. Ideas on how to create certain activities that could improve personal business skills are given in the final part of the paper. We believe that at least some of the ideas presented here will be helpful to all those English teachers who want to enrich their Business English courses by paying special attention to development of these skills. Keywords: business English, teaching, personal skills
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Для структурування знань про світ, пояснення змін, які в ньому відбуваються та усунення чи попередження негативних наслідків, що викликані неконтрольованими зовнішніми та внутрішніми чинниками, були створенні концепції, які відображають ключові характеристики світу у різні періоди часу, в залежності від ступеня розвитку всіх суспільних процесів: SPOD, VUCA та BANI світу. Ці три етапи розвитку світу для наочності та зрозумілості можна порівняти з агрегатним станом води, а саме: SPOD світ (який існував приблизно з 20-х років ХХ ст.) – це лід, оскільки він твердий, прозорий, зберігає свою форму і сама людина здатна її змінити і перетворити на те, що їй потрібно на даний момент; VUCA світ, теорія про який виникла у 80-х роках ХХ ст., порівнюють з рідким станом води, яка змінює напрямок, форму, її течія не така передбачувана; BANI світ, який виник з появою пандемії COVID-19, порівнюють з парою, або туманом, в якому нічого не видно, непередбачуваний шлях, багато ризиків та невідомо, куди приведе дорога і якими будуть наслідки зроблених кроків. На рис. 1 зображені всі три концепції з їх характеристиками та необхідними компетентностями для існування. Війна в нашій країні та її катастрофічні наслідки лише посилили ознаки BANI світу як для українців, так і для всього людства, оскільки відголоски ворожого вторгнення в Україну відчули всі через кардинальні зміни світоустрою.
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Purpose: Due to COVID-19's global impact, work from remote has become the norm which led to the closure of offices throughout the globe. Workplace learning, communication skills, collaboration, and emotional intelligence are all examples of soft skills, and they are crucial in the workplace. They are likely to boost workers' efficiency and effectiveness on the job. This study is sought to examine the relationships between employee soft skills and job performance based on evidence from Small and Medium Size Enterprises in the Bamenda Metropolis of Cameroon. Methods: A mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative) research design was used in this paper. Data were collected from 241 SMEs using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis used both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results show that improving communication skills results in higher job performance. Further, it is found that the higher the capacity of employees to discern and manage their emotions the better the job performance. Teamwork is revealed to increase the level of job performance. Work ethics shows a minimal effect on work performance. Implications: SME management should focus on developing employees’ emotional intelligence as this will improve their job performance. SMEs that are yet to adopt effective teams as an approach to functioning should consider doing so following the established benefits of effective teamwork in the organization. Employers also should try to cultivate a culture of work ethic at their place of work.
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Soft skills are career traits that individuals need to possess in order to be employable. These attributes include communication, problem solving, time management, teamwork, and ethics, to mention a few. The Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education has made different reforms in order to ensure the implementation and the development of soft skills and Bachelor Degree Reform of 2019 (BDR) is one of them. However, this reform was cancelled and the new minister of the Moroccan Higher Education and Scientific Research introduced a modified version of the LMD (Licence, Master, Doctorat) system to ensure the implementation of soft skills (Miraoui, 2022). Such modifications were made in order to ease the strain of the transition of Moroccan graduates into the job market. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain educators' perceptions of the critical nature of soft skills for employability in both Ben Msik's faculty of letters and humanities and Faculty of science. Ben Msik faculties' educators were surveyed to assess the importance of specific soft skills and how these skills affect success in the workforce. Forty five educators from Ben Msik's department of Letters and Humanities and Ben Msik's faculty of Sciences in the Casablanca-Settat region of Morocco participated in this study. The data collection instrument was an online questionnaire. Results show that the majority of teachers deem the integration of soft skills in the higher education curriculum important for employability. Educators identified general communication, oral communication, problem solving and critical thinking, teamwork and professionalism and strong work ethic as the top five important soft skills to be integrated in the Moroccan higher education curriculum. General communication, problem solving and critical thinking, teamwork, presentation skills and responsibility were ranked as the top five most important soft skills for employability.
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تشكل مهارات الموارد البشرية اهم المهارات التي تمتلكها المنظمات، اذ قد تمتلك الامكانيات المالية الجيدة، والتكنولوجية المتقدمة في الانتاج، والاجراءات والسياسات التنظيمية الناجحة وغيرها من مقومات النجاح، الا انها لا تتمكن من استخدامها بالكفاءة والفاعلية المطلوبة دون وجود موارد بشرية ذات مهارات متقدمة، قادرة على توجيهها واستغلالها بالشكل الذي يتوافق مع اهدافها واستراتيجيات منظمتها. وعليه تبقى مهارات الموارد البشرية هي المحرك الاساسي لكافة النجاحات التي تحققها المنظمات اليوم على مختلف نشاطاتها، لذا فان مهمة استقطاب وتطوير الموارد البشرية ذات المهارات المتقدمة والحفاظ عليها تشكل اهم التحديات التي تواجه مدير الموارد البشرية في ظل اشتداد المنافسة في البيئة المعاصرة. وقد اكدت معظم الدراسات الى ان المنظمات التي استطاعت البقاء والنمو لمئات السنين انما بلغت ذلك بفضل مهارات مواردها البشرية، وتمكنت في تعزيز ميزتها التنافسية واستدامتها من خلال تلك المهارات
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The chapter extends the useful but insufficient international and national standards for curricular design and delivery for education for and on the job and applies the latest information to Community Works’ operation. It highlights the importance and relevance of the constructivist thought for adolescents’ education for and in the workplace as it applies to curriculum design and delivery. Next, it uses those ideas to the idea of a constructivist curriculum. That is followed by a curricular design for Community Works, which differentiates three modules: one module for core courses, one module for hard skill courses, and one module for soft skill courses. This curricular design’s mix-and-match approach offers flexibility for two curricular delivery types, both School-Based Learning Experiences (SBLE) and Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE). It extends the educational literature by rethinking curricular design and delivery from literature, psychology, education, and business. It ends with a section on the importance of technology for today’s youth in the model.KeywordsConstructivismCurriculum designCurriculum deliveryAdolescents’ educationWorkplace learningConstructivist curriculumCore coursesHard skillsSoft skillsSchool-Based Learning Experiences (SBLE)Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE)PeersSmall-group instruction
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On January 24, 2000 at UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute, surveys of more than 260,000 full-time college freshmen reported boredom, drudgery and disengagement in class. This paper reports several reasons for lack of interest in higher education, and introduces a PBL model to address and help resolve this problem. The MITA (Multiple Intelligence Teaching Approach) model is applied to resolve problems of student passivity in higher education classes. We show how MITA can help more students in diverse populations to solve complex problems in authentic learning situations. In phase one, we welcome questions and dialogue to solve key problems around tables. Phase two identifies clear goals that illustrate minimum learning all students should achieve. In phase three, rubrics are created to identify specific criteria for evaluation of any real work problems and events. MITA's fourth phase requires learning and assessment tasks to relate to real world problems, students' interests and abilities and content requirements. Finally, in phase five, students and faculty reflect on knowledge gained and on the learning process itself, to accommodate more student participation; explore topics for deeper understanding; motivate disengaged students; or integrate several fields of knowledge to solve a complex problem.
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This study sought answers to three questions: (1) Do the precollege characteristics of first-generation students differ from those of traditional students? (2) Do first-generation students' college experiences differ from those of other students? (3) What are the educational consequences of any differences on first-year gains in students' reading, math, and critical thinking abilities? Answers come from 2,685 students (825 first-generation and 1,860 traditional students) who entered 23 diverse institutions nationwide in Fall 1992 and who completed one year of study. First-generation students differ from their traditional peers in both entering characteristics and college experiences. Although traditional students make greater net gains in reading during their first year, the two groups gain to about the same degree in math and critical thinking skills. Those gains, however, appear to result from somewhat different experiences.
Teaching non-traditional students
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Top Schools Struggle To Teach Soft Skills
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