TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining student profiles for dealing with wickedness
AU - Veltman, M. E.
AU - van Keulen, J.
AU - Smits, A. E.H.
AU - Voogt, J. M.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - When addressing problems with wicked tendencies in higher professional education, students experience complexity, uncertainty, and value divergence. Furthermore, they are confronted with disciplinary, organisational, and sector boundaries. Prior research has revealed variability in students’ experiences and boundary-crossing behaviour when dealing with problems with wicked tendencies. In this study we explore these differences by identifying student profiles based on the attributes that comprise the competence for dealing with problems with wicked tendencies, and by identifying their relations with students’ boundary-crossing behaviour and relevant work experience. Person-centred cluster analysis in a sample of first-year students (N = 264) from a bachelor’s programme in social work identified four student profiles, based on students’ self-assessed degree of creativity, critical thinking, initiative, proactivity, risk tolerance, and work efficacy. Meaningful relations with students’ prior work experiences and their boundary-crossing behaviour were found. These profiles could serve to better understand students’ boundary-crossing behaviour when confronted with problems with wicked tendencies, and help teachers foster the development of all students.
AB - When addressing problems with wicked tendencies in higher professional education, students experience complexity, uncertainty, and value divergence. Furthermore, they are confronted with disciplinary, organisational, and sector boundaries. Prior research has revealed variability in students’ experiences and boundary-crossing behaviour when dealing with problems with wicked tendencies. In this study we explore these differences by identifying student profiles based on the attributes that comprise the competence for dealing with problems with wicked tendencies, and by identifying their relations with students’ boundary-crossing behaviour and relevant work experience. Person-centred cluster analysis in a sample of first-year students (N = 264) from a bachelor’s programme in social work identified four student profiles, based on students’ self-assessed degree of creativity, critical thinking, initiative, proactivity, risk tolerance, and work efficacy. Meaningful relations with students’ prior work experiences and their boundary-crossing behaviour were found. These profiles could serve to better understand students’ boundary-crossing behaviour when confronted with problems with wicked tendencies, and help teachers foster the development of all students.
KW - boundary crossing
KW - higher education
KW - problem-solving competence
KW - student profiles
KW - teacher strategies
KW - wicked problems
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85186620661&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13636820.2024.2320898
DO - 10.1080/13636820.2024.2320898
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85186620661
SN - 1363-6820
JO - Journal of Vocational Education and Training
JF - Journal of Vocational Education and Training
ER -