The objective of this research is to develop a model for life skills training through the strengthening of academic, personal, social, and career competencies for middle school students. We designed this model to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of life's challenges. Design-Based Research (DBR) serves as a…

Critical thinking currently represents the necessary ability of an individual to orient himself in a world full of information, it allows him to search for his own identity, to form his own opinions, attitudes. Critical thinking is an individual intellectual process in which the thinker improves and cultivates the quality of his thinking,…

Across the globe, the learning goals of elementary, secondary, and higher education curricula emphasize the development of the critical thinking approach. In Kenya, the curriculum mentions developing critical thinking as one of its objectives, but a critical review reveals that the education system prioritizes competitive exams and rote…

This paper outlines the competency-linked project of a total redesign of a fully online master's program that linked every deliverable and assessment in each course with a competency model. Extensive mapping was completed and then applied to every course in the master's program over a two-year period. Graduate students' perceptions of connecting…

Traditionally, cognitive skills in mathematics and language have been described as key indicators for success. However, the social, technological, and economic changes that have occurred in the 21st century have made critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration, key competences to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.…

Higher education institutions need to integrate lifelong learning skills into their education objectives to prepare students for learning at university and working in business world. This study was conducted to investigate how project-based learning could help university students to acquire lifelong learning skills. The research was designed as a…

For higher education institutions to produce graduates capable of contributing to society and the economy in a productive manner, educational emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking. The above necessitates that higher education institutions are able to engage in responsive curriculum design and delivery for enhanced student…

This paper explores the experience, impression and understanding of student centred learning by 44 business education students at a university in Jamaica. The study sought to establish whether such a learning approach enhances the competencies of students in accord with the demands made by employers for critical employee characteristics in the…

Science instructors are increasingly incorporating teaching techniques that help students develop core competencies such as critical-thinking and communication skills. These core competencies are pillars of career readiness that prepare undergraduate students to successfully transition to continuing education or the workplace, whatever the field.…

Developing optimum solutions to engineering problems typically relies on structured and complex thought processes that require evaluation, interpretation and opinion. Well-developed critical thinking (CT) skills are essential for dealing with the multi-dimensional nature of these problems. CT in an engineering context is well reported in teaching…

Public perception of the liberal arts is declining. Yet the cognitive skills that a liberal education aims to engender are the key skills that employers and the public value most. To address this seeming paradox, we must redesign the general education core and focus squarely on essential outcomes. Specifically, we must ensure that when students…

In order to be successful in the 21st century, students will need to master an expanded set of competencies that extends beyond discrete academic standards. Competency-based education (CBE) is an educational approach that focuses on mastery of these competencies -- rather than seat time -- as a measure of student learning. This approach is being…

This paper reports a study on developing an assessment inventory of Chinese learners' competencies as needed for the twenty-first century. In creating the instrument, three relevant twenty-first century competency frameworks were referenced: from the OECD, the European Council, and the USA. The preliminary version of this instrument, which…

We explore on the basis of a simple survey tool the "perceived" impact of the Erasmus mobility experience on the improvement of the thirty generic competences of the Tuning Europe list. We rely on a self-assessment procedure, i.e. on data collected by the Erasmus Office of the University of Padova, Italy, through end-of-stay…

Competency-based training (CBT) for pilots was formally introduced in 1999 by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for training leading to the issue of aeroplane private and commercial pilot licences. This initiative followed the Australian government's introduction of CBT policy for vocational and workplace training in the late 1980's.…