Parallel session D
Beyond cognition: The role of social and emotional skills in learning, work and wellbeing
Session room:
Four Dimensions of Doctoral Expertise : Graduates’ Reflections on Learning During Doctoral Studies
Minna Maunula, University of Jyväskylä Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland
Heidi Harju-Luukkainen, University of Jyväskylä Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland
There is an increasing need for advanced expertise in the world to solve complex problems. A high level of education equips both individuals and societies with the expertise required to find solutions. This article examines the nature of expertise developed during doctoral education. The research question is: What kind of expertise is developed following doctoral studies, on the basis of the experience of doctoral graduates? The qualitative data consists of in-depth interviews with nine PhD holders. The data was analysed using an inductive approach. According to the results, theoretical expertise was perceived as the strongest and most selfevident dimension of doctoral education. However, practical, self-regulatory, and socio-cultural dimensions of expertise also emerged as key aspects of doctoral expertise. In particular, competence in networking, project work, and internationalisation were identified as crucial skills within the academic field. Nevertheless, flexibility, hybrid expertise, and broad applicability were recognised as core features of expertise regardless of the field. The study suggests that doctoral studies foster diverse and still largely unrecognised forms of expertise. This differentiated expertise should be more consciously integrated into the doctoral process. Doctoral expertise evolves at the intersections of different contexts, across disciplinary boundaries. Espousing an augmented meta-level awareness of the dimensions and processes of expertise, and engaging in dialogue across different fields, benefits doctoral graduates, doctoral education, and society at large in the development and utilisation of expertise.
Social and emotional skills of adults - PIAAC Slovakia
Olga Zelmanova, CVTI SR, Slovakia
Zuzana Wirtz, CVTI SR, Slovakia
Aim was to provide an overview of social and emotional skills (BIG V) of Slovak adults in comparison with selected EU countries and England. We explored BIG V characteristics by gender, age, adult and parental education, non-formal education, and numeracy. We focused on classifying adults into profiles to identify vulnerable groups. We also explained Life satisfaction using personality traits, employability and health. Our goal was to provide recommendations to improve lifelong learning for decision makers. Background: We used PIAAC 2023 data where Big V model of personality was measured by BFI-2 S questionnaire: Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional stability, Extraversion, Open-mindedness. There is growing evidence that Stability, Curiosity, Compassion and Consciousness significantly influence academic performance, employability and adaptation to economic and technological changes. These traits are also associated with relationships, physical and mental health as well as with Life satisfaction.
Methods: We made analysis in statistical software SPSS and AMOS. We used descriptive and comparative analysis, t- tests, ANOVA, correlation & regression analysis, clustering and AMOS structural modeling. Results showed that higher life satisfaction was associated with more Optimism, Calmness, Energy, and Stability. The structural model showed that Life satisfaction was explained by health, employment status and by personality traits, particularly Conscientiousness, Emotional stability and Agreeableness. Socio-emotional skills also varied by age. Young adults (16–35) scored lower in Conscientiousness (Organization, Productiveness), Agreeableness (Respectfulness, Compassion) and Emotional stability (Stability) than older adults (45+). Profile analyses identified several vulnerable groups. The most vulnerable were youngsters (16–24) with primary education and people with at most primary education who had below-average scores of majority personality characteristics. The largest gaps between low and highly educated adults were in Openness, Stability and Conscientiousness. One third of older people (55 +) were also vulnerable, because they had low education and did not participate in further education and their Extroversion, Openness and Stability were also low. Conclusion For Slovak Ministry of Education - Lifelong learning department we recommend including social and emotional training into formal and nonformal education particularly in upskilling and reskilling programs. Focus should be on strengthening Consciousness, Emotional stability, Agreeableness and Openness. We suggest free of charge training for all vulnerable groups. Effective strategies should include targeted outreach of adults and financial incentives such as individual learning accounts.
Personality modulates participation in learning, numeracy use and proficiency in Finnish adults
Participation in formal, nonformal and informal lifelong learning is related to higher proficiency in key information processing skills, such as numeracy. The data from the second cycle of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC CY2) measuring these skills includes a brief (Big Five) personality trait scale to chart individual social skills. Personality is known to modulate learning performance and motivation in many ways, but it remains an often-overlooked factor in the context of positive learning behavior in lifelong learning. Using the Finnish data (n = 4,061), we explored in Finnish work age adults how individual personality traits predict participation in training, numeracy skill use at work and numeracy proficiency, for numeracy skills' high societal significance. Regression models showed that openness, extraversion, and emotional stability positively predicted participation in nonformal lifelong learning. Of the traits, openness, extraversion and agreeableness positively predicted numeracy use at work, and openness and emotional stability numeracy proficiency. Slight negative associations were observed for agreeableness and conscientiousness with numeracy proficiency. These results may be interpreted according to the motivational sensitivities specific to each trait. Openness is characterized by intellectual curiosity; individuals high in this trait find learning intrinsically rewarding and motivating, which may explain their elevated participation, skill use and proficiency levels. Extraverted individuals may be most motivated by the social aspect of training, as their high participation rate does not translate into higher numeracy skill proficiency levels. The predictive relevance of emotional stability may best be understood negatively: individuals disposed to negative emotionality typically show lower levels of learning motivation and performance. The results may indicate how participation in nonformal training and skill use at work are enabled or constrained by specific motivational and emotional factors, determined by constitutional differences in adults’ personalities. Individual personality traits may thus bear relevance for understanding adults’ employability, identifying individuals at risk, as well as protective and risk factors for participation in lifelong learning, necessary for inclusive lifelong learning opportunity design.
Four Dimensions of Doctoral Expertise : Graduates’ Reflections on Learning During Doctoral Studies
Minna Maunula, University of Jyväskylä Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland
Heidi Harju-Luukkainen, University of Jyväskylä Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, Finland
There is an increasing need for advanced expertise in the world to solve complex problems. A high level of education equips both individuals and societies with the expertise required to find solutions. This article examines the nature of expertise developed during doctoral education. The research question is: What kind of expertise is developed following doctoral studies, on the basis of the experience of doctoral graduates? The qualitative data consists of in-depth interviews with nine PhD holders. The data was analysed using an inductive approach. According to the results, theoretical expertise was perceived as the strongest and most selfevident dimension of doctoral education. However, practical, self-regulatory, and socio-cultural dimensions of expertise also emerged as key aspects of doctoral expertise. In particular, competence in networking, project work, and internationalisation were identified as crucial skills within the academic field. Nevertheless, flexibility, hybrid expertise, and broad applicability were recognised as core features of expertise regardless of the field. The study suggests that doctoral studies foster diverse and still largely unrecognised forms of expertise. This differentiated expertise should be more consciously integrated into the doctoral process. Doctoral expertise evolves at the intersections of different contexts, across disciplinary boundaries. Espousing an augmented meta-level awareness of the dimensions and processes of expertise, and engaging in dialogue across different fields, benefits doctoral graduates, doctoral education, and society at large in the development and utilisation of expertise.
Social and emotional skills of adults - PIAAC Slovakia
Olga Zelmanova, CVTI SR, Slovakia
Zuzana Wirtz, CVTI SR, Slovakia
Aim was to provide an overview of social and emotional skills (BIG V) of Slovak adults in comparison with selected EU countries and England. We explored BIG V characteristics by gender, age, adult and parental education, non-formal education, and numeracy. We focused on classifying adults into profiles to identify vulnerable groups. We also explained Life satisfaction using personality traits, employability and health. Our goal was to provide recommendations to improve lifelong learning for decision makers. Background: We used PIAAC 2023 data where Big V model of personality was measured by BFI-2 S questionnaire: Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional stability, Extraversion, Open-mindedness. There is growing evidence that Stability, Curiosity, Compassion and Consciousness significantly influence academic performance, employability and adaptation to economic and technological changes. These traits are also associated with relationships, physical and mental health as well as with Life satisfaction.
Methods: We made analysis in statistical software SPSS and AMOS. We used descriptive and comparative analysis, t- tests, ANOVA, correlation & regression analysis, clustering and AMOS structural modeling. Results showed that higher life satisfaction was associated with more Optimism, Calmness, Energy, and Stability. The structural model showed that Life satisfaction was explained by health, employment status and by personality traits, particularly Conscientiousness, Emotional stability and Agreeableness. Socio-emotional skills also varied by age. Young adults (16–35) scored lower in Conscientiousness (Organization, Productiveness), Agreeableness (Respectfulness, Compassion) and Emotional stability (Stability) than older adults (45+). Profile analyses identified several vulnerable groups. The most vulnerable were youngsters (16–24) with primary education and people with at most primary education who had below-average scores of majority personality characteristics. The largest gaps between low and highly educated adults were in Openness, Stability and Conscientiousness. One third of older people (55 +) were also vulnerable, because they had low education and did not participate in further education and their Extroversion, Openness and Stability were also low. Conclusion For Slovak Ministry of Education - Lifelong learning department we recommend including social and emotional training into formal and nonformal education particularly in upskilling and reskilling programs. Focus should be on strengthening Consciousness, Emotional stability, Agreeableness and Openness. We suggest free of charge training for all vulnerable groups. Effective strategies should include targeted outreach of adults and financial incentives such as individual learning accounts.
Personality modulates participation in learning, numeracy use and proficiency in Finnish adults
Pessi Lyyra, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Joonas Mannonen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Kari Nissinen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Pauliina Rikala, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Antti Vuoriainen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Raija Hämäläinen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Joonas Mannonen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Kari Nissinen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Pauliina Rikala, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Antti Vuoriainen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Raija Hämäläinen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Participation in formal, nonformal and informal lifelong learning is related to higher proficiency in key information processing skills, such as numeracy. The data from the second cycle of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC CY2) measuring these skills includes a brief (Big Five) personality trait scale to chart individual social skills. Personality is known to modulate learning performance and motivation in many ways, but it remains an often-overlooked factor in the context of positive learning behavior in lifelong learning. Using the Finnish data (n = 4,061), we explored in Finnish work age adults how individual personality traits predict participation in training, numeracy skill use at work and numeracy proficiency, for numeracy skills' high societal significance. Regression models showed that openness, extraversion, and emotional stability positively predicted participation in nonformal lifelong learning. Of the traits, openness, extraversion and agreeableness positively predicted numeracy use at work, and openness and emotional stability numeracy proficiency. Slight negative associations were observed for agreeableness and conscientiousness with numeracy proficiency. These results may be interpreted according to the motivational sensitivities specific to each trait. Openness is characterized by intellectual curiosity; individuals high in this trait find learning intrinsically rewarding and motivating, which may explain their elevated participation, skill use and proficiency levels. Extraverted individuals may be most motivated by the social aspect of training, as their high participation rate does not translate into higher numeracy skill proficiency levels. The predictive relevance of emotional stability may best be understood negatively: individuals disposed to negative emotionality typically show lower levels of learning motivation and performance. The results may indicate how participation in nonformal training and skill use at work are enabled or constrained by specific motivational and emotional factors, determined by constitutional differences in adults’ personalities. Individual personality traits may thus bear relevance for understanding adults’ employability, identifying individuals at risk, as well as protective and risk factors for participation in lifelong learning, necessary for inclusive lifelong learning opportunity design.