ERIC Number: EJ733485
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Jan
Pages: 34
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-1560
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Students' Personality Characteristics, Self-Perceived Competence and Learning Conceptions in the Acquisition and Development of Social Communicative Competence: A Longitudinal Study
Bakx, A. W. E. A.; Van der Sanden, J. M. M.; Sijtsma, K.; Croon, M. A.; Vermetten, Y. J. M.
Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education and Educational Planning, v51 n1 p71-104 Jan 2006
An important purpose of higher social work education is to guide students to acquire and develop social-communicative competencies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role students' personality characteristics, self-perceived communicative competence and learning conceptions play in the acquisition and development of social-communicative competencies. We designed and tested a hypothetical model on the student-related variables--self-perceived communicative competence, learning conceptions and reported learning activities regarding communication--in relation to performance scores. We were interested in developmental trends in the above mentioned variables. We also wanted to gain insight into the relationships among the variables. The study was set up according to a longitudinal, within-subjects design in order to study intra-individual changes. One-hundred and twenty-three first-year social-work students participated in this study. Many changes were found in students characteristics, reported deployed learning activities and study results during their first academic year. Except for confidence in "showing sympathy", which was already relatively high at the beginning of the study, all scores on aspects of students' self-perceived social-communicative competence increased. Assessment scores on comparable communication tests also increased significantly. Extraversion and emotional stability were the only two personality characteristics, which seemed rather stable. Agreeableness "decreased" while autonomy increased continuously during the first academic year. It seemed to be possible to set up a model, which may serve as a "starting point" for further research into the development of social-communicative competence.
Descriptors: Longitudinal Studies, Student Characteristics, Personality Traits, Higher Education, Social Work, Models, Learning Activities, College Students, Self Concept, Interpersonal Competence, Communicative Competence (Languages), Measures (Individuals), Extraversion Introversion
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A