Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine what kinds of pedagogical practices predict perceived learning of university students’ social skills in classes where these skills are not set as learning outcomes. Data were collected from students of various disciplines by means of a questionnaire and then analysed using regression analysis. Students’ learning of social skills was explained by pedagogical factors related to 1) the modes of teaching and learning, 2) the features of the constructivist learning environment, 3) the features of the integrative pedagogy, and 4) the circumstances pertaining to the atmosphere of the learning environments involved in their studies. Factors belonging to three of these elements predicted the learning of social skills amongst university students. The regression models explained 46–58% of the learning of social skills. The results showed that collaborative learning typical of a constructivist learning environment plays a critical role in the learning process. In contrast, the modes of traditional or individual learning, such as listening and feedback or evaluation given by the teacher, loaded negatively in the regression model. Overall, the results suggest that collaborative and active forms of learning are highly significant in the learning of social skills. The study also brought up new perspectives to consider in the teaching of social skills.
Highlights
Social skills can be defined as tools that enable people to interact with other people and society harmoniously (Dowd & Tierney, 2017)
This study examined what kinds of pedagogical practices might contribute to university students’ learning of social skills
The students from different fields assessed to what extent they had learned these skills during their courses, in which curricular aims did not include the learning of social skills per se
Summary
Social skills can be defined as tools that enable people to interact with other people and society harmoniously (Dowd & Tierney, 2017). The development of social skills was not included in the previous study, which is why this article explores what kinds of pedagogic practices in university courses may contribute to students’ learning of social skills. Generic skills may be seen to develop alongside or as a by-product of other studies This last aspect has been reinforced in recent decades in research on the learning of generic skills (e.g., Kember, Leung & Ma, 2007; Virtanen & Tynjala, 2019). It seems that such learning would require certain types of pedagogic solutions In this regard, the following themes emerge from the literature: 1) different modes of teaching and learning, 2) constructivist learning environments (CLE), 3) integrative pedagogy (IP), and 4) emotional atmosphere of learning. In both contexts, the learning of generic skills was promoted in settings calling for interaction and collaboration with others (Crebert et al, 2004)
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