Action learning: challenges that impact employability skills

• Published in: Higher education, skills and work-based learning Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 203 - 216
• Main Authors: Olivares, Silvia Lizett, Adame, Eduardo, Treviño, José Ignacio, López, Mildred Vanessa, Turrubiates, Miriam Lizzeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bingley Emerald Publishing Limited 20.01.2020; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Action learning; Collaboration; Critical thinking; Educational Strategies; Elementary School Students; Experiential learning; Extracurricular activities; Higher education; Independent study; Information technology; Interactive learning; Labor market; Learning Activities; Learning Processes; Learning Strategies; Lifelong Learning; Problem solving; Soft skills; Students; Teaching Methods; Teamwork; Thinking Skills; Kenya; Experiential learning; Transversal competence; Challenge-based learning; Employability skills; Action learning; Expectation confirmatory theory; Soft skills; Competences
• ISSN: 2042-3896; 2042-390X
• DOI: 10.1108/HESWBL-07-2019-0097

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceived value of an action learning experience (i-Week) on the development of important soft employability skills applying expectation confirmation theory (ECT). Design/methodology/approach A total of 1,295 activities were offered in 36 cities of ten countries. Each activity had a faculty member and multidisciplinary teams to address an authentic situation during one full-time week. The ECT was applied to assess the disparity between what was expected from the students and their actual learning experience. A total of 929 students answered a Perceived Value Questionnaire to measure 14 transversal competences categorized on five employability skills. Findings Achievements were statistically higher than expectations in 5 out of 14 transversal competences. The perceived value of the i-Week reflects the impact on soft skills: self-skills, personal, learning, social and systemic. The paper proposed an integrated model to learn these competences from action learning experiences. Research limitations/implications The questionnaire is a self-assessment and not an actual performance measure. Besides transversal competences, there were more disciplinary competences that are not included in the study. Practical implications The perceived value model of the i-Week could be applied for different educational levels and contexts considering a lower scale. A new version of the Perceived Value Questionnaire on Competences is provided for educational research. Originality/value The educational experience, instruments and analysis described in the study might be easily transferred to other action activity used to measure perceived learning results on multiple skills.