In recent years, researchers have highlighted the importance of students' set of soft skills. However, although deemed important, the integration of those skills into educational systems' policy remains ancillary in higher education. This is mainly due to the scant use of competency-based learning activities and the widely used instructional…

Research-based learning (RBL) is regarded as a panacea when it comes to effective instructional formats in higher education settings. It is said to improve a wide set of research-related skills and is a recommended learning experience for students. However, whether RBL in the social sciences is indeed as effective as has been postulated for other…