Success in science and mathematics courses, and later in careers, requires more than disciplinary knowledge and general academic competencies. Students also need proficiency in certain key dispositions and life skills. This article is a systematic review of literature that examines what teachers believe about the non-academic skills necessary for…

No matter what path students pursue in postsecondary education and in life, they need to be able to problem-solve and think critically. The study of mathematics teaches skills and habits of mind that are an essential part of the formula for students to succeed in further studies and in their careers. Requiring all students, regardless of the…

Service-learning was introduced to tertiary education in Asia more than a decade ago. However, there has been little prior Asia-based research across different jurisdictions comparing student developmental outcomes arising from service-learning. We report two studies that validated the Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS) by…

The ACT® Holistic Framework® describes the knowledge and skills that students need for success during their kindergarten through postsecondary education and throughout their careers. The four areas included in the framework are core academic skills, behavioral skills, education and career navigation skills, and cross-cutting capabilities (CCCs).…

In this research article, Ross J. Benbow and Matthew T. Hora explore the employability narrative, a view that focuses on whether colleges and universities provide students with the skills they need to be productively employed after graduation. Using sociocultural theory to problematize this narrative and qualitative methods to foreground the…

Historical and current educational perspectives are epistemologically challenging to weave together. The contributors brought together in this book have risen to that challenge and, in the process, have produced a detailed and thorough account of the issues and processes at play. Science, Mathematics, and Technology (SMT) education is recognised…

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…

The purpose of this overview is to highlight select common elements of state definitions of "college and career readiness." Although preparing students for postgraduation opportunities has long been a priority for states, districts, and schools, a burgeoning global economy and ongoing labor market shifts call for renewed attention to the…

The sources contained within this annotated bibliography can help inform state efforts to define the competencies that students need to be able to demonstrate, determine how schools and districts can ensure that students master these competencies, and measure school and student progress toward college and career readiness and success goals. This…

Decades of research into learning have demonstrated that learners are diverse, changing, and adaptable. In this regard, the practice as educators must become flexible and adaptive to meet the wide variation of learning needs. A general consensus exists among educators, businesses, and other stakeholders that there is a significant gap between the…

The authors argue that home economics teachers should teach critical thinking and problem solving to their students. They demonstrate the uses of questioning and concept attainment to develop such skills. (CH)

The author examines the nature of reflective thinking and its necessity as an educational goal. The work of John Dewey, empirical approaches to reflective judgment, evidence of students' ability to use it, and implications for education are discussed. (SK)

Explains how the process of creating a database provides opportunities for business instructors to use teaching strategies that promote higher-order thinking skills. Describes a project at a school of business in which each student must build an original database and apply functions of tables, queries, forms, and reports. (JOW)

The study examined how two aspects of teaching--mastery of content and problem solving--could be linked in a curricular framework. A professional program in physical therapy designed to teach both aspects was evaluated. Findings indicated that performance on a test of critical thinking was affected by the curriculum. (Author/CH)

Reports a study investigating the utility of 52 items, selected from a readily available item pool developed for instructional purposes, when the items are used to measure critical thinking abilities of biology students. The items had reasonably good internal consistency reliability and good concurrent validity. (PR)