Validation of the competences for the 21st-century skill scale in higher education students

Abstract

In a global society, the importance of knowledge and assessment of transversal competences emerges to cope with the challenges of contemporary society, from a perspective of development and lifelong learning. Therefore, it is a priority to use assessment tools adapted to different cultures. The main objective of this study is to validate the instrument ‘Multidimensional 21st Century Skills Scale’ for the Portuguese population. The sample was composed of 413 participants of both genders, with a mean age of 24.30 years (standard deviation = 8.69), aged between 18 and 64 years, attending Higher and Vocational Education. The translation and back-translation of the instrument were carried out by experts (researchers and university professors in the areas of psychology, management, and entrepreneurship). The final version of the scale was composed of 30 items and the exploratory analysis identified three dimensions: Knowledge and Entrepreneurial Skills, Career Awareness and Innovation, and Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. These factors were validated by confirmatory analysis. The authors suggest that the difference found in relation to the original version is related to cultural reasons, the age range of the respondents, as well as their academic level. Keywords: 21st century, skill scale, entrepreneurial skills, higher education innovation