GiLE Journal of Skills Development
Not a member yet
125 research outputs found
Sort by
Domestic and International Doctoral Students’ Motivation to Study at Hungarian Universities: A Comparative Study
Full text linkHungary is a member of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and follows a three-cycle higher education system based on the Bologna Process. Raising the number of international and domestic PhD students improves the position of Hungarian universities in international competition for higher education. There are around ten thousand full-time doctoral students; nearly 32% are internationals in Hungary, according to the Central Statistical Office. A great number of higher education institutions develop doctoral programs to attract more domestic and international students, hence, it is significantly important to get to know about students’ motivation to enrol in doctoral study in Hungary. This study was conducted in 2023 and examined international and domestic students’ motivation using the two-factor model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation proposed by the self-determination theory of human motivation. A questionnaire was administered to 100 international doctoral students, 45 males and 55 females, aged 25 to 45, and to 100 domestic doctoral students, 38 males and 62 females, aged 25 to 48 to explore the motivation to attend a Hungarian university. The results of the study show that the respondents endorsed more items on intrinsic motivation than on extrinsic motivation. There is a significant difference in motivation among domestic and international doctoral students at Hungarian universities. Domestic students demonstrate a higher level of motivation to get knowledge and a higher level of introjected regulation. International doctoral students show a higher level of amotivation compared to domestic students. The existing literature on international education is mostly focused on the skills and benefits students gain, but there has been limited research on doctoral students\u27 motivation. At the same time, knowledge about international and domestic doctoral students\u27 motivation can be used in program development which fits more to the motivational characteristics of doctoral students
Generalists vs. Specialists : The Benefits of Adopting a Horizontal Career Path for Gen Z and Early Graduates
Full text linkCareer development has significantly changed in recent years. Traditional career paths with vertical advancement leading to specialist positions become restricted for young individuals due to organisations’ structural changes, forcing them to build their career horizontally as a generalist. Given contemporary careers have become more turbulent and complex, the significance of horizontal transitions between jobs allow individuals to gain a wide set of skills and experiences, aiding them to understand the complexities of the ever-evolving workforce. Previous studies demonstrated that generalists with horizontal career paths were more adaptable and likely to transfer their skills between jobs. As Gen Z is approaching 30 years old, their vertical career advancement could be affected by the structural changes in organisations, horizontal career paths may become their alternative approach. Since there is very limited research that focuses on horizontal career paths, future research on this topic would be very meaningful by adding insights into career development as generalists vs. specialists. Recommendations are offered for further research on horizontal career paths and training for early graduates, which could optimise better to provide broader opportunities and enhance career development outcomes
Extent to Which Life Skills and Values are Embedded in the Education Systems of Four East African Jurisdictions: A Scoping Review
Full text linkSustainable Development Goal 4.7 calls for education systems to equip all learners with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to promote sustainable development, equity, and social cohesion. As global societies face rapid technological and socio-economic changes, education systems are increasingly recognizing the importance of life skills and values—such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy—beyond traditional academic knowledge. However, embedding these competencies into curricula, teaching practices, and assessments remains a complex challenge. This scoping review analyses 32 policy documents, curriculum frameworks, teacher training materials, and assessment strategies to examine how life skills and values are integrated into the primary and secondary education systems of Kenya, Tanzania Mainland, Uganda, and Zanzibar. Through an analysis of policy documents, curriculum frameworks, teacher training materials, and assessment strategies, the study assesses both the explicit and implicit presence of these competencies. Findings reveal a strong regional commitment to life skills and values education, reflected in curricular reforms and pedagogical shifts. However, implementation is inconsistent due to limited teacher capacity, resource disparities—especially in rural areas—and challenges in culturally contextualizing values education. Moreover, assessment mechanisms often fail to capture these competencies effectively. Three integration approaches are identified: across-subject embedding, standalone subjects, and extracurricular activities. The ALiVE program, under the Regional Education Learning Initiative, represents a collaborative effort to systematically embed these competencies in East African education systems. This review provides a crucial baseline for future monitoring and offers insights for policymakers, educators, and development partners seeking to strengthen life skills and values education in diverse and evolving contexts
Supporting English Graduates Transition to Work: A Sustainable Careers Ecosystem Approach
Full text linkIn an era of accelerating automation, human-centered skills such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability - hallmarks of an English degree - are becoming increasingly vital in the workplace. And yet English degree enrolment numbers, and value perception in a capitalist society, are both decreasing. This study examines experiences of English graduates, as they transition from a higher education non-specialised degree to the workplace. It uses the Sustainable Careers Ecosystem Theory (SCET) to highlight challenges faced, relevance of acquired skills, and support needed during this transitional period. Employing a constructivist grounded theory approach, the research uses qualitative semi-structured interviews with 21 English graduates. Data was thematically analysed and three core themes constructed: (1) who is responsible for English graduate employability, highlighting key stakeholders including universities, careers services, future employers, and individual students; (2) the importance of identifying a next step and embracing flexibility rather than pursuing a narrow predefined career goal; and (3) the retrospective appreciation of skills acquired through studying English.
This research addresses a gap in the literature by examining the experiences of non-specialist course alumni, focusing on the sustainability of English studies and the relevance of academic skills to the current labour market. It expands the use of the SCET to non-specialist subjects, highlighting its application in diverse sectors.
Findings highlight the need for enhanced collaboration between universities, careers services, and employers to support English graduates\u27 transition into the workplace, addressing options available and articulation of skillset. This research contributes to ongoing discourse on non-specialist degree value in contemporary job markets, influencing educational policy and career guidance practices, highlighting the importance of the SCET
EFL Learners’ Perceptions of English Language Teachers’ Implicit Motivating Agency: An Interview Study in the Hungarian Higher Education Context
Full text linkThe role of language teachers is considered important in shaping their students’ motivation to learn a foreign language (L2). The motivational impact of a language teacher predominantly stems from the teacher\u27s personality and behaviour, rather than from the direct use of explicit motivational strategies (Kálmán, 2023). Dörnyei (2001) also claimed that teachers act as key figures, or authorities, who affect the motivational quality of the learning process by providing mentoring, guidance, nurturance, support and limit setting” (p. 35). These point to the importance of teachers’ implicit roles in motivating their learners. Research on the implicit role of English language teachers in EFL motivation has not been conducted extensively in general, but especially not at all in the Hungarian higher education context. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the perceptions of EFL learners in relation to their EFL teachers’ implicit motivating agency (i.e., the effect of a teacher’s personality, behaviour, and appearance on their L2 motivation). To explore such a research niche, this study adopts a qualitative research design with a semi-structured interview. The results based on data collected from 14 EFL learners, from different universities in Hungary, suggest that the teacher’s personality traits such as niceness, friendliness, support, encouragement, enthusiasm, empathy and cheerfulness can motivate the learners implicitly. Regarding the behaviour of the teacher, creating a warm atmosphere, asking students about their feelings, not behaving in a strict manner, playing games and telling jokes can have a motivational impact on the learners as well. In connection with EFL teachers’ appearance, students highlight the importance of dressing nicely and professionally and caring for personal grooming. The findings of this study may contribute to raising awareness of the importance of an EFL teacher’s personality, behaviour as well as appearance in higher education contexts
The Importance of Skills Development for Youth in the Current Context of Bangladesh: A Comparative Study and Path Forward
Full text linkBangladesh is positioned to harness the demographic dividend by leveraging the potential of its substantial influx of young workers joining the labour market annually. In the context of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), modern labour markets globally have become increasingly competitive. This is particularly true in numerous least developed countries (LDCs), including Bangladesh. The quality of Bangladesh\u27s workforce is facing diminished acceptance in both domestic and global labour markets. The jobless rate for graduates is threefold more than that of non-graduates, highlighting a contradiction in which education seemingly complicates work opportunities. This paper explores the causes of unemployment in contemporary Bangladesh and emphasizes the necessity for skills development to mitigate this issue. Annually, almost 2.2 million individuals, predominantly youth, enter the labour market in Bangladesh. This demographic advantage may be squandered if the expanding skills gap is not rectified, particularly given the disruptive influences of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which necessitates a workforce equipped with both advanced technical and soft skills to maintain competitiveness in the global market. The study also reveals that a substantial proportion of these youths have undergone traditional schooling and obtained numerous certificates, although they lack the requisite technical skills, leading to a disparity between the competencies of graduates and the expectations of employers. As a result, young individuals face challenges in obtaining their preferred employment, resulting in a decline in national output. The report also proposes some areas that must be emphasized to promote skills development for young people in Bangladesh
Analysing Student Participation in the Life and Governance of Hungarian Higher Education Institutions: A Qualitative Case Study for University X (UX)
Full text linkThis study paper explores the student participation in the life and governance of Hungarian higher education institutions with a focus on University X (an anonymised institution). It aims to answer two questions in regard to the key factors influencing the students’ participation and the differences that emerge between the Hungarian and the international students at University X. As higher education becomes more diverse and internationalised, understanding how students from different backgrounds engage with institutional governance is crucial for promoting inclusive and integrative practices. Using a qualitative case study design, this paper involved semi-structured interviews with five participants from University X: two staff members from two different international offices, two student representatives (one representing the Bachelor and Master students’ union, and another one representing the doctoral student union), and one international student representative. These interviews provided insights into both formal and informal mechanisms of student participation in the university life or the university governance, the opportunities offered, and the students’ challenges in influencing policies and institutional practices. The analysis revealed that the key factors influencing the students’ participation are connected to the effective communication, the inclusive environment, the support systems, the different available events, the collaboration between the administration and the student bodies, and the feedback mechanisms. Alternatively, differences arise between Hungarian and international students due to language, cultural and social integration, student representation and decision-making, and information access. This study concludes that fostering great student participation requires not only structural changes but also cultural adaptation and institutional efforts to ensure all students have equitable opportunities
Motivational Disposition in English Writing Skills Development for EFL Pre-service Teachers: A Comparative Pilot Study of Myanmar and Hungary
Full text linkDeveloping strong writing skills is essential for EFL pre-service teachers’ career readiness and professional development especially in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Myanmar and Hungary\u27s English language teacher training programmes share similarities in practicum, course content, aims, assessment, and professional development initiatives, but differ in class and group sizes, and governmental initiatives in second language (L2) research. Their shared emphasis on English teacher training despite their distinct educational contexts brought the researchers to conduct this comparative pilot study. Despite extensive L2 motivation research in English language teaching (ELT), the motivational disposition of EFL pre-service teachers in English writing remains unexplored in both countries. Current English teacher training programmes in both contexts emphasise quality teaching for academic achievement, particularly in English writing. This study addresses this gap and its implications for skills development and employability, by presenting results from a quantitative questionnaire study, focusing on the process writing approach. The study aims to assess the reliability of the pilot questionnaire developed by the researchers, explore pre-service teachers’ motivational disposition in English writing, and identify dimensions contributing most to motivated learning behaviour. Statistical analyses, including Cronbach’s alpha and linear regression, were conducted, revealing differences in motivators between Myanmar and Hungarian participants. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing intrinsic motivation in Myanmar and emphasising ideal L2 selves in Hungary to improve EFL pre-service teachers’ motivated learning behaviour and writing performance. These insights also contribute to strengthening teacher training practices, fostering sustainable careers, and equipping pre-service teachers with critical skills that are crucial for their educational and professional success in the long run
Understanding the Early Impacts of School Mentors’ Ethics of Care on Filipino Gen Z Novice Science Educators’ Informal Professional Learning
Full text linkCare-centric mentorship plays a pivotal role in helping novice educators successfully adapt to the realities of academic institutions. As members of Generation Z begin to enter the teaching profession, they encounter a noticeable lack of formal mentorship and learning platforms tailored to their unique generational characteristics. Consequently, they turn to informal school mentors for guidance and support during this critical phase of their early careers. This study employed a Husserlian phenomenology to uncover the essence of the early impacts of the Ethics of Care provided by school mentors on the informal professional learning of Filipino Generation Z novice science teachers. Ten participants were purposefully selected from a strategic region in the Philippines, employing semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. The field texts were analysed using Colaizzi’s procedural steps to distil the phenomenon’s essence. The findings were validated through the member checking procedure and the critical friend technique. Based on the thematically analysed participants’ interviews, the study introduces the Typology of Ethics of Care-driven Informal Professional Learning, which comprises three distinct learner personas: the Mindful Member, the Grounded Inquirer, and the Utility Thinker. Shaped by caring encounters with informal mentors, each persona encapsulates focal points, fostering antecedents and formative impacts, reflecting their dynamic takeaways. These insights can inform contemporary educational organizations and school mentors in implementing evidence-based mentorship strategies and professional development interventions, ensuring contextual support that empowers this cohort to navigate institutional roles effectively and contribute meaningfully to their educational communities