scholarly journals Developing Soft Skills through Project-Based Learning in Technical and Vocational Institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 5872-5877
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Distributed Data ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Vocational Colleges ◽  
Normally Distributed

Soft skills have become critical in the preparation of employable graduates. The education system must, therefore, aim to ensure quality training for the production of employable graduates. Soft skills are personal abilities that one retains and can adequately be nurtured through active participation of students in the teaching and learning process. It is validated by researchers that the prevalent employability skills deficiencies have been one of the main causes of unemployment globally. Consequently, soft skills have all the potentials for equipping graduates with adequate employability skills. Thus, this study investigated the effect of project-based learning on the development of soft skills among technical students at technical and vocational colleges, Kaduna State, Nigeria Smart PLS software was used to test the developed model. As the sample size for this study was relatively small, the researchers were not certain to have normally distributed data. Subsequently, Smart PLS is appropriate for non-normally distributed data and therefore, it was used to simultaneously evaluate the measurement model, structural models and to confirm the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure. The study revealed that collaborative skills construct have a significant positive relationship with soft skills of technical students at technical and vocational colleges, while communication skills, initiative skills, and problem-solving skills have a positive insignificant relationship with soft skills of technical students at technical and vocational colleges. The findings of this study suggest that the curriculum of technical programs in Nigerian technical colleges need to be reviewed and geared more towards activity-based teaching and learning to enable technical students effectively develop soft skills for employment.

scholarly journals Developing Soft Skills through Project-Based Learning in Technical and Vocational Institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 2842-2847
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Distributed Data ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Vocational Colleges ◽  
Normally Distributed

Soft skills have become critical in the preparation of employable graduates. The education system must, therefore, aim to ensure quality training for the production of employable graduates. Soft skills are personal abilities that one retains and can adequately be nurtured through active participation of students in the teaching and learning process. It is validated by researchers that the prevalent employability skills deficiencies have been one of the main causes of unemployment globally. Consequently, soft skills have all the potentials for equipping graduates with adequate employability skills. Thus, this study investigated the effect of project-based learning on the development of soft skills among technical students at technical and vocational colleges, Kaduna State, Nigeria Smart PLS software was used to test the developed model. As the sample size for this study was relatively small, the researchers were not certain to have normally distributed data. Subsequently, Smart PLS is appropriate for non-normally distributed data and therefore, it was used to simultaneously evaluate the measurement model, structural models and to confirm the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure. The study revealed that collaborative skills construct have a significant positive relationship with soft skills of technical students at technical and vocational colleges, while communication skills, initiative skills, and problem-solving skills have a positive insignificant relationship with soft skills of technical students at technical and vocational colleges. The findings of this study suggest that the curriculum of technical programs in Nigerian technical colleges need to be reviewed and geared more towards activity-based teaching and learning to enable technical students effectively develop soft skills for employment

scholarly journals Module Development of Teaching Soft Skills Application in Learning and Facilitating Theory Class for Technical

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 4701-4705
Keyword(s):  
Learning Theory ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Soft Skill ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Teaching Module ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Evaluation Phase ◽  
Module Development

Nowadays, Malaysia is moving towards being a developed nation in which it has worked hard to develop the country, especially in the field of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) which is strongly emphasized in producing first-class human capital. The application of seven (7) elements of soft skills (KI) which are communication skills, leadership skills, skills work skills, professional entrepreneurship, morals and ethics, continuous learning and information management, critical thinking and problem solving skills should be emphasized to the students. Mastering soft skills is very important to technical students as it is demanded by the industry. Hence, the purpose of this study is to develop the Soft Skill Implementation Teaching Module in Teaching and Learning Theory Class for Technical Lecturers. The objective of this study is to identify the suitability of the format, content and functionality of the module based on the feedback of the technical lecturers. The development of this module uses the Sidek model while the content of the module is based on UTHM publisher guidelines. The researcher chose the Sidek model as the module development model because it has systematic steps to develop the module. The Sidek model has two phases where the first phase is the draft phase and the second phase is the testing and evaluation phase. Each module built is considered a draft before it is evaluated and tested for its effectiveness. In addition, this study uses the quantitative approach involving ten (10) technical lecturers at FPTV, UTHM. The data were descriptively analyzed and presented in the form of frequency and percentages. The findings have shown that 97.27% of technical lecturers agree with the design format, 98% agree with the suitability of the module content and 100% agree with the functionality of the Soft Skill Implementation Teaching Module in Teaching and Learning Theory Class for Technical Lecturers. In conclusion, this module is suitable to be used by technical lecturers as a guidance and references in applying soft skills systematically.

scholarly journals PEDAGOGICAL INFLUENCE IN THE INTEGRATION OF SOFT SKILLS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (42) ◽  
pp. 329-344
Author(s):  
Ilangko Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
School Students ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
High Performing Schools ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Teamwork Skills

Soft skills are non-academic competencies that complement a student's academic achievement to face the world of work in the future. This study aims to identify ways of implementing soft skills and the kind of soft skills emphasized in the teaching and learning of the Malay language among secondary school students in nine selected schools in Kedah, Penang, and Perak. The study involved focus group interviews and individual interviews consisted of 119 students and 26 Malay language teachers. The findings show that soft skills apply directly and indirectly through various learning activities in Malay Language subjects. Respondents from normal schools received less exposure to soft skills compared to respondents from high-performing schools (HPS). Among the soft skills identified in this study are teamwork skills, self-confidence, communication, critical thinking, leadership, influencing skills, critical and creative thinking skills (CCTS), and problem-solving skills. Communication skills and teamwork skills were among the most detected soft skills in the three high-performing schools involved in this study. Meanwhile, the activities carried out to apply soft skills are group discussions, presentations, acting, poetry recitation, storytelling, public speaking, forums, and question and answer. Although this study is not comprehensive in terms of the number of schools and respondents, the findings of this study are important to explain the real scenario of the level of mastery and integration of soft skills, especially in the nine cases of this study.

scholarly journals PROJECT-BASED LEARNING EQUIPS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH WORKPLACE SKILLS

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Nur Shafiekah Sapan ◽  
Siti Katijah Johari ◽  
Nurul Ain Zulhaimi ◽  
Siti Nurul Aishah Abdul Hamid ◽  
Siti Aishah Ramli
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Academic Excellence ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Workplace Skills ◽  
Work Related

The new emerging trend for recent employment is the employers expect the university graduates to have more than academic excellence to be employed. They prefer graduates who possess soft skills such as communication skills, creativity, teamwork, management, and problem-solving. As a result, many educators are forced to change and find a new teaching and learning strategy to be incorporated in the classroom that would facilitate the students to develop both academic as well as interpersonal skills which are commonly known as soft skills. The holistic approach of Project-Based Learning (PBL) which integrates learning through working collaboratively in a project and bringing in the authentic experiences of the real world beyond the classroom walls has proven that PBL is designed to do both. The present study aimed to investigate how PBL can prepare students with related workplace skills and their perception of PBL in developing their soft skills. A set of a questionnaire is designed and administered to 77 second-year students, who are taking English for Occupational Purposes subject at Universiti Malaysia Sabah Labuan International Campus. The result of the study showed that PBL has able to equip the students with work-related skills, and by completing the projects, they were able to improve their soft skills, mainly in communication and self-confidence. Hence, the findings of the study proved that PBL is a relevant approach in a classroom to help in developing students' soft skills.

scholarly journals Fostering Students’ Workplace Communicative Competence and Collaborative Mindset through an Inquiry-Based Learning Design

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Rosa Huiju Chen
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Favorable Effect ◽  
College Level ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Cooperative Teaching ◽  
Collaboration And Communication ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Language Context ◽  
Development Of Students

This paper illustrates the efficiency of implementing an inquiry-based teaching and learning module on the development of workplace communication competence and collaborative mindset in a college-level English as a Foreign Language context. In particular, the study highlights the 5E constructivist approach as the pedagogical foundation and addresses the effects of project-based learning scenario on students’ engagement and their views in terms of “workplace habits of mind”. The 5E model includes five stages: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. In addition, teaching strategies like academia-industry cooperative teaching, industry field trip, reflective writing, and project-based presentation were incorporated into each instructional phase to emphasize the development of students’ social, collaborative, and problem-solving skills. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected including students’ perceived effectiveness of engagement activities, weekly reflective journal writing and focus group interviews. The results of the study indicate that the inquiry-based teaching and learning approach had a favorable effect on the development of students’ engagement and hands-on, mind-on skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.

scholarly journals EMPLOYERS PERCEPTION ON GRADUATE SKILL DEFICIENCY TO SUIT PRODUCTIVITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1415-1421
Author(s):  
Gopalakrishnan Soundararajan ◽  
Anitha Ravikumar ◽  
Stephen Aro-Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Online Databases

Purpose of the study: This study aims to investigate the perception of employers on the skill deficiency of graduates. The study also attempts to explore the nature and importance of employability skills with emphasis on the areas of deficiency that could be addressed by higher education institutions (H.E.I.s) to make their graduates more employable. Methodology: This paper is a theoretical exploration based on existing literature. Relevant research papers were sourced from prominent online databases, notably Emerald and Elsevier, including journals, articles, and scholarly conference proceedings. and carefully analyzed. These studies provided an insight for the researchers to understand employability skills and also it helped to suggest the steps to be taken by the H.E.I.s to address the lack of employability skills and make the students ready to face the job market. Main Findings: The results of the study suggest that a lack of employability skills is a major cause of unemployment among graduates of universities, colleges, and other H.E.I.s.The findings reflect the increasing desire of employers for graduates to possess soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication, and collaboration. It also underscores the critical role of H.E.I.s in addressing graduate skill deficiencies. Applications of this study: The study shows that employability skills are the foremost skills graduates require to successfully compete in the job market. The research encourages graduates to understand the skills deficiencies from the employers' perspectives and to discover some bespoke methods or ways of addressing their competency gaps, thereby enhancing their effectiveness and innovativeness. The study further offers a clear roadmap for H.E.I.s to enrich the quality of teaching and learning, thereby enhancing graduate employability. Thus, the outcome of this study will help not only the students but also the H.E.I.s and employers. Novelty/Originality of this study: The study extends the current literature on graduate employability by integrating the three pivotal dimensions of the problem – the students, the H.E.I.s, and the employers. Previous studies have focused more on some specific aspects such as employability skills needed or expectations of the employers or stressed on H.E.I.s to create employability skills. Students are dependent on H.E.I.s for their studies while they are also dependent on employers for getting jobs; similarly, the H.E.I.s cannot function without the students, while the employers also cannot function without the human resource provided by the H.E.I.s.

scholarly journals Project-Based Learning in a Transinstitutional Research Setting: Case Study on the Development of Sustainable Food Products

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartmut Derler ◽  
Simon Berner ◽  
Daniela Grach ◽  
Alfred Posch ◽  
Ulrike Seebacher
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Research Setting ◽  
School Students ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

Project-based learning (PBL) has been thoroughly integrated in university sustainable development curricula, but has not been well-established in curricula used at pre-university educational levels. Integrating real-world settings into the teaching of secondary school students can help to promote problem-solving skills and competencies at younger ages, which is a crucial task in sustainability education. Therefore, in this article we describe the results of a case study on the development of sustainable food products that involved a university and two secondary schools in Austria. The methods used in this case study were drawn from the transdisciplinary case study (TCS) and the PBL literature. Data were collected by carrying out participatory research methods such as photovoice, focus group discussions, food diaries, student evaluations, and surveys. We divided the study design into three phases: (1) exploration, (2) product ideation, and (3) product prototyping and optimisation. The case study illustrates that the use of PBL research approaches by students at different levels of education provides promising results, if the research process is clearly structured and managed. When a demand for learning is encountered by students, secondary school teachers and university researchers must provide the students with additional sources of information. The establishment and management of a transinstitutional research setting is a promising, yet time-consuming endeavour.

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