Student and staff perceptions of the importance of generic skills in science

Abstract

In the discussion of the inclusion of generic skills in courses, the voices of employers, universities and government have been clearly heard. However, the undergraduate student voice has been largely missing. This paper outlines the results of a survey of staff and undergraduate students. Part A of the survey asked participants to rate a set of skills in terms of their importance. Part B of the survey asked participants to add other skills that they considered important. The student results demonstrate significant year effects. For example higher‐order skills such as critical thinking are rated more important at third year than at first year. Comparisons of the staff data and student data show that student perceptions match staff perceptions more closely at third‐year level than at first year. When all the results are considered in the broader context of our courses, there appears to be a strong link between students' perception of the importance of skills and the degree to which the skills are assessed.