scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers on "Skills management published in 2016"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Students reach the same level of Computational Thinking (CT) skills development independent of their age and gender, and CT skills in most cases need time to fully develop (students' scores improve significantly towards the end of the activity).

371 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors reviewed the evidence that links motor skills to diverse school outcomes, then described three sets of cognitive processes (motor coordination, executive function, and visuospatial skills) that are tapped by motor assessments.
Abstract: Children need a range of skills to transition successfully to formal schooling. In early childhood classrooms, children must master their fine and gross motor skills. In this article, we review the evidence that links motor skills to diverse school outcomes, then describe three sets of cognitive processes—motor coordination, executive function, and visuospatial skills—that are tapped by motor assessments. We then use these processes to explain how motor skills are implicated in children's self-regulation and their emergent literacy and numeracy. We conclude by encouraging theoretical and methodological approaches to clarify the mechanisms that implicate motor skills in school performance and achievement.

164 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: One of the most popular topics in the educational measurement community in the past decade has been the assessment of 21st century skills as discussed by the authors, which has become one of the hot topics in educational measurement.
Abstract: One of the “hottest” topics in the educational measurement community in the past decade has been the assessment of 21st century skills. This special issue demonstrates work being performed in this realm. The present article provides a context for the four primary articles that follow and a brief but broad view of some models of 21st century skills. The articles that follow are active projects developing assessments that focus on the changing cognitive skills required for this new century. It is clear that education that has emphasized memory and routine problem solving needs a metamorphosis and the measures described in this issue portend a brave new educational world.

141 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: In this article, a case study of using blended learning to enhance students' language skills and learner autonomy in an Asian university environment is presented, where e-learning strategies are used in parallel with traditional classroom language teaching methods of the four language learning skills.
Abstract: This paper presents a case study of using blended learning to enhance students language skills and learner autonomy in an Asian university environment. Blended learning represents an educational environment for much of the world where computers and the Internet are readily available. It combines self‑study with valuable face‑to‑face interaction with a teacher. This study puts the spotlight on learning outcomes in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) class in Thailand in which e‑learning strategies are used in parallel with traditional classroom language teaching methods of the four language learning skills. These skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. The achievements and attitudes of students were compared between the control group and the experimental group to measure the potential of available technology to develop language skills and learner autonomy. The findings from this study show that online practice is directly beneficial to enhance the four language learning skills as well as autonomous learning and learner motivation.

129 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on research carried out with employers to determine demand for business and management skills in the Scottish workforce and find that the most important transferable skills to employers when recruiting graduates were; trustworthiness, reliability, motivation, communication skills and a willingness to learn.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on research carried out with employers to determine demand for business and management skills in the Scottish workforce. Design/methodology/approach – The research used a questionnaire in which employers were interviewed (either telephone or face to face), completed themselves and returned by e-mail, or completed an online survey. In total, 71 employers took part in the study. Findings – The research found that the factors which are most important to employers when recruiting graduates were; personal attitude, employability skills, relevant work experience and degree result. The most important transferable skills to employers when recruiting graduates were; trustworthiness, reliability, motivation, communication skills and a willingness to learn. Social implications – The paper shows the importance of graduates developing excellent job searching skills, high-quality work experience and developing business courses to enhance students’ employability and bette...

128 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This model utilizes a variant of emerging behavioral decision theory, called Image Theory, to develop a two-stage process of IS hiring where the first stage utilizes technical skills for filtration and the second stage utilizes soft skills for the choice in actual hiring.
Abstract: This paper calls attention to a paradox in the recruiting and hiring literature in IS and offers a possible reconciliation of the paradox based on recent advances in behavioral decision theory. The paradox is the contradictory demand for IT/IS technologies as advertised job skills in contrast to soft skills as actual or implicit hiring criteria. The specific purpose of this research is to introduce a model that may explain and reconcile the use and importance of both technical skills and soft skills in the hiring of IS personnel. This model utilizes a variant of emerging behavioral decision theory, called Image Theory to develop a two-stage process of IS hiring where the first stage utilizes technical skills for filtration and the second stage utilizes soft skills for the choice in actual hiring. This model of IS hiring decision making may serve as a starting point for future research on the demand for IS job skills.

126 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A literature review explores the definition of soft skills, contrasts skills with related concepts, such as personality traits, attitudes, beliefs, and values, and compares a set of soft skill typologies as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Soft skills are a collection of people management skills, important to many professions and job positions, including academic librarianship. Yet the concept of soft skills lacks definition, scope, instrumentation, and systematic education and training. This literature review explores the definition of soft skills ; contrasts skills with related concepts, such as personality traits, attitudes, beliefs, and values; and compares a set of soft skill typologies. We discuss a number of conceptual issues associated with soft skills and suggest several lines of research to help clarify and strengthen librarians’ understanding of and development of soft skills.

114 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors found that some managers blamed soft skills gaps on skills withdrawal, but did not reveal greater employee disaffection in the establishment worst affected by these skills gaps.
Abstract: Soft (e.g. interpersonal and social) skills are receiving ever more attention with employers frequently reporting that employees lack these skills. The ‘blame game’ for these skills deficits is frequently directed at the individual, family or government. Scant attention has been paid to the possibility that people may possess soft skills but decide to withdraw them because of disaffection with their employer. Taking a critical perspective and drawing on three case study establishments, this article finds that some managers blamed soft skills gaps on skills withdrawal. The employee data did not, however, reveal greater employee disaffection in the establishment worst affected by soft skills gaps. Investigation of withdrawal instead revealed more about employees who had left the organizations and the propensity for employers to blame employees for soft skills gaps. The study also affirmed that organizations may be to blame for their soft skills gaps if they do not contextually integrate selection, induction and training practices with their skills needs.

109 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article proposes an integrated approach to develop students’ 21st century skills that supports educators’ integration of 21st Century skills in the classroom.
Abstract: Developing students’ 21st century skills, including creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving, has been a prevailing concern in our globalized and hyper-connected society. One of the key components for students to accomplish this is to take part in today’s participatory culture, which involves becoming creators of knowledge rather than being passive consumers of information. The advancement and accessibility of computing technologies has the potential to engage students in this process. Drawing from the recent publication of two educational frameworks in the fields of computational thinking and media & information literacy and from their practical applications, this article proposes an integrated approach to develop students’ 21st century skills that supports educators’ integration of 21st century skills in the classroom.

108 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the characteristics of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice in Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and investigate the CSR perception, motivation, and activities of two Swedish SMEs.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice in Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A case study approach is used to investigate the CSR perception, motivation, and activities of two Swedish SMEs. This paper indicates that two Swedish SMEs studied adopt a profit-seeking rather than a profit-sacrificing CSR approach. Furthermore, the paper argues that the perception, the motivation, and part of the CSR activities are well incorporated in the decision to engage in CSR. However, the Swedish SMEs in our case studies are often limited in communicating their CSR activities due to a lack of resources and management skills. This communication gap between intended and actual communication drives the overall CSR impact on business performance from marginal to non-existent. As a result, looking at the overall business impact, a meant-to-be profit-seeking strategy is actually turned into a profit-sacrificing activity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Trained practitioners demonstrated significantly greater use of these client-centred skills to support behaviour change compared to their untrained peers up to 1 year post-training.
Abstract: A total of 148 health and social care practitioners were trained in skills to support behaviour change: creating opportunities to discuss health behaviours, using open discovery questions, listening, reflecting and goal-setting At three time points post-training, use of the skills was evaluated and compared with use of skills by untrained practitioners Trained practitioners demonstrated significantly greater use of these client-centred skills to support behaviour change compared to their untrained peers up to 1 year post-training Because it uses existing services to deliver support for behaviour change, this training intervention has the potential to improve public health at relatively low cost

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the perceptions of a sample of engineering students about the importance of various soft skills and how well their universities have prepared them in gaining the associated abilities.
Abstract: Because of globalization and the rapid advancement of technology, researchers and employers agree that the 21st-century engineer must have a set of skills (e.g., teamwork, communication, and management) that were not emphasized in the past. In response, many universities have started to implement program changes in order to graduate well-rounded engineers. As an attempt to assess the gap between what universities are exposing their engineering students to and the requirements of the industry, this paper examines the perceptions of a sample of engineering students about the importance of various soft skills and how well their universities have prepared them in gaining the associated abilities. Students were also surveyed about their career aspirations in an attempt to determine whether these aspirations affect their perceptions. The results revealed that, although the students showed a significant understanding of the importance of soft skills, some of these perceptions can be attributed to their c...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that fine motor skills should have a pivotal role in educational interventions designed to support the development of early mathematical skills.
Abstract: Fine motor skills have long been recognised as an important foundation for development in other domains. However, more precise insights into the role of fine motor skills, and their relationships to other skills in mediating early educational achievements, are needed to support the development of optimal educational interventions. We explored concurrent relationships between two components of fine motor skills, Fine Motor Precision and Fine Motor Integration, and early reading and maths development in two studies with primary school children of low-to-mid socio-economic status in the U.K. Two key findings were revealed. First, despite being in the first two years of primary school education, significantly better performance was found in reading compared to maths across both studies. This may reflect the protective effects of recent national-level interventions to promote early literacy skills in young children in the U.K. that have not been similarly promoted for maths. Second, fine motor skills were a better predictor of early maths ability than they were of early reading ability. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that fine motor skills did not significantly predict reading ability when verbal short-term memory was taken into account. In contrast, Fine Motor Integration remained a significant predictor of maths ability, even after the influence of non-verbal IQ had been accounted for. These results suggest that fine motor skills should have a pivotal role in educational interventions designed to support the development of early mathematical skills.

Journal Article
TL;DR: This review article points out where computer-assisted language learning (CALL) can contribute to L2 language growth in terms of these four skills, especially if carefully situated within a taskbased language teaching (TBLT) framework.
Abstract: Robert Blake, University of California, Davis Most L2 instructors implement their curriculum with an eye to improving the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Absent in this vision of language are notions of pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and multicultural competencies. Although current linguistic theories posit a more complex, interactive, and integrated model of language, this review article points out where computer-assisted language learning (CALL) can contribute to L2 language growth in terms of these four skills, especially if carefully situated within a taskbased language teaching (TBLT) framework. New technologies coupled with a TBLT goal-oriented approach ultimately push learners to combine speaking, listening, reading, and writing in ways that resemble more closely how they normally engage with the digital facets of their own lives.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors study on-the-job learning among classroom teachers, especially learning skills from coworkers, using data from a new field experiment, and document meaningful improvements in teacher job performance when high and low-performing teachers working at the same school are paired and asked to work together on improving the low-performer's skills.
Abstract: We study on-the-job learning among classroom teachers, especially learning skills from coworkers. Using data from a new field experiment, we document meaningful improvements in teacher job performance when high- and low-performing teachers working at the same school are paired and asked to work together on improving the low-performer’s skills. In particular, pairs are asked to focus on specific skills identified in the low-performer’s prior performance evaluations. In the classrooms of low-performing teachers treated by the intervention, students scored 0.12 standard deviations higher than students in control classrooms. These improvements in teacher performance persisted, and perhaps grew, in the year after treatment. Empirical tests suggest the improvements are likely the result of low-performing teachers learning skills from their partner.Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Eleven steps to be considered when teaching psychomotor skills are reported, which may assist the teaching and learning of complex task-based skills.
Abstract: A diverse range of health professionals use psychomotor skills as part of their professional practice roles. Most health disciplines use large or complex psychomotor skills. These skills are first taught by the educator then acquired, performed, and lastly learned. Psychomotor skills may be taught using a variety of widely-accepted and published teaching models. The number of teaching steps used in these models varies from two to seven. However, the utility of these models to teach skill acquisition and skill retention are disputable when teaching complex skills, in contrast to simple skills. Contemporary motor learning and cognition literature frames instructional practices which may assist the teaching and learning of complex task-based skills. This paper reports 11 steps to be considered when teaching psychomotor skills.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine literature that attempts to inform higher education institutions and policy makers about the skills required in the labor market and find that there is little consensus on which skills actually foster employability.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of digital literacy on educational outcomes by merging data from the Italian National Assessment in secondary schools with an original data-set on performance tests of Internet skills for tenth-grade students were investigated.
Abstract: Digital skills are increasingly important for labour market outcomes and social participation Do they also matter for academic performance? This paper investigates the effects of digital literacy on educational outcomes by merging data from the Italian National Assessment in secondary schools with an original data-set on performance tests of Internet skills for tenth-grade students Our identification strategy relies on a rich set of individual, family, school and classroom control variables that are not commonly available in previous studies The findings indicate that, overall, Internet skills have a positive impact on academic achievement This effect is stronger for students with low academic performance or low family background It is also stronger for students in technical or vocational schools

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors used social identity theory to predict and test the influence of abusive supervision on service employees' proactive customer service performance (PCSP) in the hotel industry.
Abstract: Purpose On the basis of social identity theory, this paper aims to predict and test the influence of abusive supervision on service employees’ proactive customer service performance (PCSP) in the hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 198 service employee-coworker dyads from 12 hotels in China. Previously developed and validated measures of abusive supervision, organizational identification, collectivism and PCSP were used and found to be highly reliable in this study. Findings Time-lagged data from 12 hotels in China reveal that abusive supervision negatively influences service employees’ PCSP, through organizational identification. In addition, employees’ collectivistic value orientation also strengthens the negative relationship between abusive supervision and organizational identification. These findings have several theoretical and managerial implications, especially for hospitality context. Practical implications First, the study suggests that hotels should design supervisors’ selection, training and monitoring to reduce mistreatment, which could be highly costly to employees’ identification and hence proactive behaviors. In addition, hotel supervisors are encouraged to learn to regulate their emotions by developing emotional management skills and interpersonal skills. Second, because collectivists are more likely to be affected by abusive supervisors, organizations should pay special attention to them by allocating more supportive resources, providing psychological comfort and expert counseling. Finally, hotels and managers should seek to meet individuals’ basic needs by fostering positive relationships between supervisors and employees, offering favorable treatment and connecting an organization’s goals with employees’ individual values. By doing so, employees’ organizational identification will be enhanced and hence contribute to PCSP. Originality/value First, scarcely any study has focused on negative types of leadership styles and how they affect employees’ PCSP. The authors address the research gap by extending the antecedent scope of PCSP to dark side management and provide empirical evidence about the suppressing effects of abusive supervision on PCSP. Second, the focus on organizational identification provides a new extension for social identity theory in application for incurring employees’ proactive behaviors. Third, this study provides a novel contribution by suggesting that the level of collectivism an employee holds can exacerbate the salience of abusive supervision.

Journal ArticleDOI
31 May 2016
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a collection of best practices and methods for teaching and learning soft skills at university level, taking into account different perspectives and basing on the results of two European projects focused on this topic.
Abstract: The world of work is changing profoundly, at a time when the global economy is not creating a sufficient number of jobs. Many documents issued by the EU and various researches, carried out by companies and human resources experts, point out that the so-called “soft” skills are closely connected with employability, particularly for young people entering the labour market. At present, EU countries have different methodologies and approaches to the teaching and assessment of soft skills. Another obstacle is represented by the absence of a common language. There are different ways of naming ‘soft skills’, different definitions of them, different manners of classifying and clustering them. The article explores some classifications of soft skills and presents a collection of best practices and methods for teaching and learning them at University level, taking into account different perspectives and basing on the results of two European projects focused on this topic. The final goal is to provide an analysis aimed at the identification of the most important soft skills needed for a successful transition from University education to the labour market. The analysis includes a brief chronological excursus on relevant studies on the subject, a review of current literature on employability skills, quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (focus groups) researches from Europe and Third Countries, identifying the range of soft skills relevant for newly graduates. The aim of this overview is to enhance understanding of soft skills and to indicate key areas for soft skill development at University level. Published online : 06 June 2016

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated how poor access to technology, limited support networks and their current situation prevent these young people from gaining the experiences they need to support the development of their digital skills; and how lack of experience and inadequate skills limit the extent to which they perceive the internet to be valuable in their lives.
Abstract: Digital skills are an important aspect of ensuring that all young people are digitally included. Yet, there tends to be an assumption in popular discourse that young people can simply learn these skills by themselves. While experience of technologies forms an important part of the learning process, other resources (i.e., access to technology and support networks) plus clear motivations are required. Through in-depth interviews with 20 young people who are digitally excluded, this paper highlights the kinds of digital skills these young people find problematic, and the reasons why they find developing these skills so challenging. We demonstrate how poor access to technology, limited support networks and their current situation prevent these young people from gaining the experiences they need to support the development of their digital skills; and how lack of experience and inadequate skills limit the extent to which they perceive the internet to be valuable in their lives. These individual experiences, sha...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used economics and psychology literature to define four skills sets (socio-emotional, higher-order cognitive, basic cognitive, and technical) and found that the skills most demanded by employers are largely learned or refined in adolescence.
Abstract: Educators believe that they are adequately preparing youth for the labor market while at the same time employers lament the students' lack of skills. A possible source of the mismatch in perceptions is that employers and educators have different understandings of the types of skills valued in the labor market. Using economics and psychology literature to define four skills sets --socio-emotional, higher-order cognitive, basic cognitive, and technical -- this paper reviews the literature that quantitatively measures employer skill demand, as reported in a preference survey. A sample of 27 studies reveals remarkable consistency across the world in the skills demanded by employers. While employers value all skill sets, there is a greater demand for socio-emotional skills and higher-order cognitive skills than for basic cognitive or technical skills. These results are robust across region, industry, occupation, and education level. Employers perceive that the greatest skills gaps are in socio-emotional and higher-order cognitive skills. These findings suggest the need to re-conceptualize the public sector's role in preparing children for a future labor market. Namely, technical training is not equivalent to job training; instead, a broad range of skills, many of which are best taught long before labor market entry, should be included in school curricula from the earliest ages. The skills most demanded by employers—higher-order cognitive skills and socio-emotional skills—are largely learned or refined in adolescence, arguing for a general education well into secondary school until these skills are formed. Finally, the public sector can provide programming and incentives to non-school actors, namely parents and employers, to encourage them to invest in the skills development process. Skills, labor demand, cognitive, non-cognitive, behavioral skills, competences, employer surveys, skills policy, education policy, training policy.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A major finding of the study is that information literacy skills were positively correlated with both student writing scores and final course grades.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined how social competence and other generic skills can be developed in teacher education using a pedagogical model called Integrative Pedagogy, which is based on the idea of integrating the four basic components of expertise: Theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge, self-regulative knowledge, and sociocultural knowledge.
Abstract: The purpose of the study was to examine how social competence and other generic skills can be developed in teacher education using a pedagogical model called Integrative Pedagogy. This model is based on the idea of integrating the four basic components of expertise: Theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge, self-regulative knowledge, and sociocultural knowledge. The subjects of the study were 95 student-teachers. The data were collected with questionnaires. In addition to social skills, the student-teachers reported learning of domain-specific skills, generic academic skills, skills for acting creatively in different situations and development of independence. We conclude that the model of Integrative Pedagogy is feasible in teacher education.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An online survey was developed and sent to employers to gauge perceptions of information literacy skills of college graduates and the use of the innovation of digital badges to represent competencies that students have accumulated.
Abstract: Digital badges are an educational innovation used to measure learning of specific skills, such as information literacy. However, few studies have quantitatively surveyed employers for their perceptions about information literacy skills or digital badges. An online survey was developed and sent to employers to gauge perceptions of information literacy skills of college graduates and the use of the innovation of digital badges to represent competencies that students have accumulated. Here are the results of the survey: information literacy and metaliteracy skills are valued in the workplace; employers would like more detailed representations of student skills; and digital badges are a possible way to showcase student achievement.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the perspective of UK graduates training for accountancy education and find that the focus on the development of technical skills at the expense of generic employability skills.
Abstract: Accounting educators are criticised for a focus on the development of technical skills at the expense of generic employability skills. This study considers the perspective of UK graduates training ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Leadership was shown to be an essential set of skills for the surgeons as demonstrated by the high correlation of poor leadership with intra-operative incidents, and team-working and management skills appeared to be especially important for anaesthetists in the recovery from an intra-operatively incident.
Abstract: Background The importance of non-technical skills in improving surgical safety and performance is now well recognised Better understanding is needed of the impact that non-technical skills of the multi-disciplinary theatre team have on intra-operative incidents in the operating room (OR) using structured theatre-based assessment The interaction of non-technical skills that influence surgical safety of the OR team will be explored and made more transparent Methods Between May–August 2013, a range of procedures in general and vascular surgery in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh were performed Non-technical skills behavioural markers and associated intra-operative incidents were recorded using established behavioural marking systems (NOTSS, ANTS and SPLINTS) Adherence to the surgical safety checklist was also observed Results A total of 51 procedures were observed, with 90 recorded incidents – 57 of which were considered avoidable Poor situational awareness was a common area for surgeons and anaesthetists leading to most intra-operative incidents Poor communication and teamwork across the whole OR team had a generally large impact on intra-operative incidents Leadership was shown to be an essential set of skills for the surgeons as demonstrated by the high correlation of poor leadership with intra-operative incidents Team-working and management skills appeared to be especially important for anaesthetists in the recovery from an intra-operative incident Conclusion A significant number of avoidable incidents occur during operative procedures These can all be linked to failures in non-technical skills Better training of both individual and team in non-technical skills is needed in order to improve patient safety in the operating room

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the social constructionist roots of these education models are examined in light of the currrency of the curriculum and the content of the simulation model, and they are compared to the curriculum.
Abstract: Business simulations are innovative instruction models for active or cooperative learning. In this paper, we look at the social constructionist roots of these education models in light of the curre...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a discussion of the productive potential of soft skills has sparked a discussion about their systematic and purposeful development However, education systems pay only limited attention to soft skills.
Abstract: Increasing awareness of the productive potential of soft skills has sparked a discussion of their systematic and purposeful development However, education systems pay only limited attention to thi