The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis
Main Author: | |
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Publication Date: | 2020 |
Other Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | eng |
Source: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Download full: | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/3188 |
Summary: | When attending and participating in Higher Education, students face a multitude of personal, social, and work-related challenges, which may increase the risk of developing psychopathological symptomatology. To date, there is no instrument that grasps the non-technical skills that may help prepare students to respond to these challenges. This paper presents the development and psychometric properties of the Soft Skills Inventory (SSI). The inventory was developed based on theoretical and empirical findings on the skills associated with academic and professional success, and on students’ perception. The SSI was tested with 2030 Portuguese students (of which 77.1% were female) using a two-stage approach: item calibration and model generation (n = 1033), followed by model validation (n = 997). Item calibration analyses led to retaining 49 items that were organized into six-factors: self-determination, resilience, empathy, assertiveness, social support, and teamwork. This measurement model was further validated and proved to be an invariant, and thus credible, tool to compare male and female students on those relevant skills. All measures attained good internal consistency, with alphas ranging from .76 to .88. Female students scored significantly higher than males on self-determination, empathy, social support and teamwork. On the other hand, male students scored significantly higher on resilience. No significant differences were found between men and women for assertiveness. Psychometric analysis showed that the SSI is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate students intra and interpersonal skills. The SSI may help identify gaps in soft skills and guide targeted interventions to support a more positive student experience in Higher Education. |
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The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysissoft skillsyoung adultshigher educationpsychometricsWhen attending and participating in Higher Education, students face a multitude of personal, social, and work-related challenges, which may increase the risk of developing psychopathological symptomatology. To date, there is no instrument that grasps the non-technical skills that may help prepare students to respond to these challenges. This paper presents the development and psychometric properties of the Soft Skills Inventory (SSI). The inventory was developed based on theoretical and empirical findings on the skills associated with academic and professional success, and on students’ perception. The SSI was tested with 2030 Portuguese students (of which 77.1% were female) using a two-stage approach: item calibration and model generation (n = 1033), followed by model validation (n = 997). Item calibration analyses led to retaining 49 items that were organized into six-factors: self-determination, resilience, empathy, assertiveness, social support, and teamwork. This measurement model was further validated and proved to be an invariant, and thus credible, tool to compare male and female students on those relevant skills. All measures attained good internal consistency, with alphas ranging from .76 to .88. Female students scored significantly higher than males on self-determination, empathy, social support and teamwork. On the other hand, male students scored significantly higher on resilience. No significant differences were found between men and women for assertiveness. Psychometric analysis showed that the SSI is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate students intra and interpersonal skills. The SSI may help identify gaps in soft skills and guide targeted interventions to support a more positive student experience in Higher Education.Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de SantarémJardim, JacintoPereira, AnabelaVagos, PaulaDireito, InêsGalinha, Sónia Maria Gomes Alexandre2021-01-03T18:44:50Z2020-122020-12-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/3188engJardim, J.; Pereira, A.; Vagos, P.; Direito, I. & Galinha, S.A. (2020). The soft skills inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis. Psychological Reports. Dec 2020, (1-29) ID PRX-20-0202. eISSN: 1558691X1558691Xinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-01-21T07:34:49Zoai:repositorio.ipsantarem.pt:10400.15/3188Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T01:55:02.888547Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis |
title |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis |
spellingShingle |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis Jardim, Jacinto soft skills young adults higher education psychometrics |
title_short |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis |
title_full |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis |
title_fullStr |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis |
title_sort |
The Soft Skills Inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis |
author |
Jardim, Jacinto |
author_facet |
Jardim, Jacinto Pereira, Anabela Vagos, Paula Direito, Inês Galinha, Sónia Maria Gomes Alexandre |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Pereira, Anabela Vagos, Paula Direito, Inês Galinha, Sónia Maria Gomes Alexandre |
author2_role |
author author author author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Jardim, Jacinto Pereira, Anabela Vagos, Paula Direito, Inês Galinha, Sónia Maria Gomes Alexandre |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
soft skills young adults higher education psychometrics |
topic |
soft skills young adults higher education psychometrics |
description |
When attending and participating in Higher Education, students face a multitude of personal, social, and work-related challenges, which may increase the risk of developing psychopathological symptomatology. To date, there is no instrument that grasps the non-technical skills that may help prepare students to respond to these challenges. This paper presents the development and psychometric properties of the Soft Skills Inventory (SSI). The inventory was developed based on theoretical and empirical findings on the skills associated with academic and professional success, and on students’ perception. The SSI was tested with 2030 Portuguese students (of which 77.1% were female) using a two-stage approach: item calibration and model generation (n = 1033), followed by model validation (n = 997). Item calibration analyses led to retaining 49 items that were organized into six-factors: self-determination, resilience, empathy, assertiveness, social support, and teamwork. This measurement model was further validated and proved to be an invariant, and thus credible, tool to compare male and female students on those relevant skills. All measures attained good internal consistency, with alphas ranging from .76 to .88. Female students scored significantly higher than males on self-determination, empathy, social support and teamwork. On the other hand, male students scored significantly higher on resilience. No significant differences were found between men and women for assertiveness. Psychometric analysis showed that the SSI is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate students intra and interpersonal skills. The SSI may help identify gaps in soft skills and guide targeted interventions to support a more positive student experience in Higher Education. |
publishDate |
2020 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2020-12 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z 2021-01-03T18:44:50Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/3188 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/3188 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Jardim, J.; Pereira, A.; Vagos, P.; Direito, I. & Galinha, S.A. (2020). The soft skills inventory: developmental procedures and psychometric analysis. Psychological Reports. Dec 2020, (1-29) ID PRX-20-0202. eISSN: 1558691X 1558691X |
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info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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openAccess |
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application/pdf |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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