autonomy through self- awareness: skills as an asset for

Autonomy through self-awareness: skills as an asset for students making the transition to the labor market

A skills profile for Arts Students at KU Leuven

Melina De Dijn

IntroSkills profile?

Skills?

"skill means the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems".

[Skills] can be described as cognitive (involving the use of logical, intuitive and creative thinking) or practical (involving manual dexterity and the use of methods, materials, tools and instruments).

( European Qualifications Framework (EQF))

Knowledge: what you know

Skills: what you can do

Attitude: what you are

https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/escopedia/European_Qualifications_Framework__40_EQF_41_

Starting point for the research project

Research question

Are certain skills andattitudes linked to theArts curriculum and if

so, which ones? Disciplinary

core

Skills

Attitudes

Context Where? Why? Who?

Context

Context LOUVAIN• Linguistics and Literature• Area Studies (Japan, China,

Middle East)• History• Arts• Archeology• Musicology

BRUSSELSApplied Linguistics

KORTRIJKLinguistics and LiteratureHistory

ANTWERPApplied Linguistics

Faculty of Arts’ student numbers have diminished with 30% since 2013-2014.

Some programs have low employability rates

FAQ at recruiting activities: “What kind of jobs are open for graduates?”

Staff resistance with regard to employability training in academic and traditionally theoretical programs

European context

• The OECD 'Skills for jobs' report for instance mentions a need in the labor market for several humanities-related knowledge areas (e.g. education and training, communications and media, philosophy and theology, history and archeology and fine arts, etc.).

• Skills and abilities that have become vital for present-day employees such as social perceptiveness, verbal abilities and creativity (cf. OECD-report 'Skills for jobs' /'Higher Education Modernisation Agenda') also seem to link up with humanities profiles

However, empirical research into the exact set of skills and attitudes that emerge from the humanities' curriculum at KU Leuven faculty of Arts was lacking.

Project team

Eline ZennerResearcher

Liesbet HeyvaertVice dean of

Education

Advisor(1st year –transition

to the labour

market)

Methodology and results How? What?

Methodology

pretest

literature

policy texts

1. Social engagement

2. Language system and proficiency

3. Disciplinary core

4. Sensibilitye for (aesthetic)

nuance and complexity

5. Repertoire

6. Intercultural skills

7. Open view

8. Professional communication

9. Work autonomously and in group

10. Information and source specialist

11. Research methods and techniques

12. Textual skills

13. Critical thinking

14. Structuring and transferring knowledge13. Critical thinking

clusters

interpretationclusters

Language proficiencyBeing criticalCritical perspectivemultilingualityHaving a critical perspectiveChinese proficiencyWritingCritical thinkingLinguistic insight

Being criticalCritical perspective

Having a critical perspective

Critical thinking

n = 1684

Being criticalCritical perspective

Having a critical perspective

Critical thinking

clusters

I can look at things from different perspectives.

I know that my own role as interpretor is crucial in my analysis: my understanding of the truth and reality are always in relation to myself.

I can look at and analyse a problem from different angles.

Methodology

Translation of skills into meaningful statements

Pilot study

Supplementing statements

from faculty of social sciences


from faculty of sciences

Final list of perceived skillsn = 92

Being criticalCritical perspectiveHaving a critical perspectiveCritical thinking

pretest

literature

policy texts


clusters

Methodology

Stat

isti

cal a

nal

ysis

Student survey

Factor analysis

1. Linguistic insight, language proficiency and textual

skills

2. Research

3. Open view, nuance and multiperspectivity

4. Distilling and synthesizing information

5. Communication

6. Society, historical consciousness and cultural

relativity

7. Autonomous organisation

Faculteit n

Faculty of Arts 551

Faculty of Social Sciences 217

Faculty of Sciences 218

Total 986

Translation of skills into meaningful statements

Pilot study


from faculty of social sciences


from faculty of sciences

Final list of perceived skillsn = 92

pretest

literature

policy texts


clusters

Results for three faculties

Linguistic insight, language proficiency and textual skills

Research

Open view, nuance and multiperspectivity

Distilling and synthesizing information

Communication

Society, historical consciousness and cultural relativity

Autonomous organisation

Comparison: faculty of Arts & faculty of Social Sciences


Research



Communication



Comparison: faculty of Arts & faculty of Sciences


Research



Communication



Organisation

Society

Language

Communication

Area Studies

Open viewArcheology

Education

Art History

History

Musicology

Linguisticsand

Literature

Distilling and synthesizinginformation

Research

AppliedLinguistics

Alumni

Linguistic insight, language

proficiency and textual skills

Red = not acquiredGreen = acquired

Bright colour = needed on thelabour marketLight colour = not needed on the labour market

Correcting texts

Translating in a professional way

Alumni

Research

Red = not acquiredGreen = acquired

Bright colour = needed on thelabour marketLight colour = not needed on the labour market

Software analyses

Impact Strategies to raise awareness of skills

ALUMNI

GOOD PRACTICES

Event in semester 2

Extracurricular event for bachelorStudents

Debate night

Challenge in semester 1

Extracurricularchallenge for

bachelor students

PR campaign/ podcast challenge

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Always profile-based

Plans for the future Work in progress

JOB INTERVIEW TRAINING

Profielscan

ASSET-HPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

MODULE

PDP-TOOL

The end

• Thank you for your attention!

• Are there any questions?

• Presentation – loaded on conference website

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