Perspective Chapter: Preparation for Transformative Work Environment – Faculty Member’s Responsibilities for Promoting Life Skills among Learners at the High Education Institutions

Abstract

The paper explores the preparation for transformative work environment: faculty member’s responsibilities for promoting life skills among learners at the high education institutions. This research is a descriptive study that explain the faculty member’s responsibilities for promoting life skills among learners at the high education institutions. By using qualitative research approaches, the researcher analyzed number of studies and governmental reports. Findings revealed that the main responsibility of higher education institutions is to prepare learners for professional life by enhancing college students’ life skills through different educational strategies such as project-based learning, workshops, and long and short-term training in the business work environment. Also, faculty members are responsible for developing learners’ efficacy in their lives and about. This study is among the first to investigate, particularly, the preparation for transformative work environment: faculty member’s responsibilities for promoting life skills among learners at the high education institutions in the context of Arab countries.

1. Introduction

In the twenty-first century, higher education plays a pivotal role in preparing learners to become more active and independent, responsible members of society and trustworthy people. So, it is experiencing a reconstituted change because of the change in standards and curriculum, science, technological innovation, globalization, international agreements, privatization, human rights, urbanization, and industrialization [1]. Learners nowadays encounter many obvious economic difficulties along with social, emotional, and environmental issues, such as global warming, criminal attacks, suicide, lack of job security, and poverty.

As research indicated, adults are considered the fundamental elements of the construction of modern society due to their physical and intellectual capability. However, in the real scenario, the majority of the adults do not have the ability to make use of their potency in a convenient way due to the deficiency of guidance and motivation [2] while the notions such as communication skills, objective setting, the way of meal preparation, budget allocating, and time management are often anticipated to be dealt with along the way as students get mature [3]. Expeditiously, the number of social problems has increased such as drug abuse, sexual harassment, and alcoholism and affected the development of empathy with surrounding and having harmony in society. As [4] opine that it is crucially significant that college graduates get in the manpower with the skills to realize sustainable prosperity and success in a competitive and swiftly alternating revolutionary world. However, in accordance with variously conducted studies, today’s college graduate often endeavors to join the workplace but are unequipped to satisfy the requirements of today’s employers. Also, there is growing frustration over the high-education learners’ dearth of the necessary life skills. So, those challenge requires immediate and effective responses from a socially responsible system of education while learners lack home life support to deal with the future life after graduation. High education institutions are working in a complicated and refined era due to the rapid and radical change in terms of personal characteristics and business workplace requirements. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR), improving learners’ core competencies which include personal, intellectual, emotional, and social competencies is the highest priority for preparing learners to be more competitive citizens in the world business economies [5]. Also, it leads to respond learners’ needs, to fulfilling their interests. Therefore, ministers of education around the world have acknowledged and identified the necessity and requirement to develop their educational systems to make life skills education a compulsory element and mandatory component in schools’ curricula and through extra-curricular activities to help learners navigate the world [6]. Consequently, this topic has been an investigation problem for various studies such as [7] and the like. The main purpose of this research was to identify the significance of preparation of higher education learners for a transformative work environment by improving their life skills. Also, the research aims to investigate how life skills are realized, operationalized, activated, and implemented in teaching and learning strategies to enhance and improve life skills in the high education context.

2. The concept of life skills

Life skills were defined as scopes of transferable skills wanted for everyday life, by everyone, that help people burgeon and succeed. Scholars described the demand and need for life skills including social skills which were the most important life skills [8]. On the other hand, life skills are defined as the psycho-capabilities of pliable and positive behavioral practices that empower persons to behave productively according to the requirements and challenges of everyday life. They are generally classified into three universal models of skills containing: intrapersonal skills for data analysis and use, interpersonal skills for personal agency development and self-management, and interpersonal skills for productive communication and interaction with others. Furthermore, life skills are focused on as a behavior change or behavior development approach designed to address the balance of three areas: knowledge, attitude, and skills. Also, it is psycho-capability for pliable and positive behavioral practices that help individuals act adequately with the requirements and barriers of daily life [9].

3. Classification of life skills

World Health Organization (WHO) suggested various forms of life skills composed of communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, decision-making, critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, and metacognition. It is so important for learners to manage their emotions such as success, failure, depression, loneliness, rejection, anger, anxiety, stress, and conflict within social relationships by raising their self-awareness of dealing with life change [10]. Also, empirical studies have been classifying the different types of life skills such as communication skills, management skills, and leadership skills [11, 12]. They listed several key elements that several information to becoming innovators and productive society members which are problem-solving, time management, responsibility, collaboration, flexibility, organization, confidence, communication skills, creativity, self-control, task initiation, self-direction, critical thinking, work ethic, and metacognition. Furthermore, international organizations such as UNESCO listed the ten core life skills, namely self-awareness, critical thinking, creative thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, effective communication, interpersonal relationship, empathy, coping with stress, and coping with emotion.

4. Strategies for improving life skills

While education is important, learning to lead life effectively is equally important. Therefore, the topic of life skills has been an important area of interest to researchers, theorists, and practitioners, however, higher education institutions are running out to meet national and international teaching standards from the scripted curriculum, and focusing on the standardized test benchmarked. Thus, learners were taught to possess, convey and regurgitate, process information, and convey to others, rather than, to communicate effectively with others, think creatively, and critically, act independently, and plan their lives. Incorporating life skills into the context of high education insinuations curriculum is a very crucial and viable solution to fill the gap between the different educational levels and to bridge the gap between the learners’ qualifications and the demands of the business workplace [13]. Firstly, the notion of the modern trends of education center on building learner skillsets to make them capable, active, efficient, and successful in the workplace. They pointed out that in spite of the tremendous focus and attention from the academic institutions in terms of technical training of hard skills, those skills are still insufficient. As a result, there is an existing gap between the instructor’s demands in evaluating tasks and the occupational market requirements [14]. Consequently, educational researchers state the significance of life skill instructions “hands-on, real-world learning experiences, increase academic achievement, help students develop stronger ties to their community, enhance students’ appreciation for the natural world, and create a heightened commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens” [15].

Addressing these global challenges, researchers offer varied perspectives regarding methods to arrive at them. They argue that vital involvement in the available societal resources will boost the chances to pick up the threads to learn pro-social behaviors and work skills, vocational education, and proneness beyond the school [16]. However, believes that the focus of attention should be on the development of communication, and commitment to follow personal goals [17]. Researchers agree to attend to communication and goal setting, as socially competent people can use social experience for their goals and needs while understanding the needs and goals of others [18]. The role of teachers is critical to promoting life skills that prepare students for adulthood. it is so significant that the teaching process should be integrated or complemented with various supportive interventions which could be provided through effective pre-college awareness and school reformatory paradigm [19]. They evaluated the incorporation of movement into life skills’ implementation and discovered the inclusion of movement while developing life skills not only assisted in physical gains but also mental health gains. The researcher recommended students be provided the freedom to move around the room, or the opportunity to work with a fidget device, as kinesthetic activities stimulate creativity and work production [20]. Likewise, Meyer and Wurdinger assert kinesthetic activities are crucial, alongside recognizing student interests in the acquisition of life skills. They express the importance of putting student interests at the center of life skills lessons and goal setting. Thereby, students are working out what they actually possess because they personally select convenient schemes and learn to observe themselves as they set objectives, resources, and schedules that assist them to achieve duties [21].

As the research indicated that the main responsibility of higher education institutions is to prepare learners for professional life by enhancing college students’ life skills through different educational strategies such as project-based learning, workshops, and long and short-term training in the business work environment. Also, faculty members are responsible for developing learners’ efficacy in their lives and about. According to [22], life skills training enhances critical thinking abilities, which further impacts living life actively, being responsible on the job, and in future planning too. Also, they assert the effectiveness of life skills training in increasing mental and physical health and pro-social behavior and decreasing in behavioral, social problems, and self-destructive behaviors. During their investigation, include life skills in students’ curricula. The results of this study suggested the extraordinary capability of teens for positive promotion and flexibility. Verandae and Rao proved that skills training enhanced their psychosocial competencies. Also, life skills training is effective in preventing a wide range of problems such as substance abuse, teenage pregnancies, and violent bullying, and promoting self-confidence and self-esteem among adolescents [23]. In the Roodbari, Sahdipoor, and Ghale’ study, it showed that life skills training has a positive effect and improves social development, and emotional and social adjustment, suggesting an increase in the compatibility of children and public health [24]. Furthermore, they noted significant improvement in interpersonal relationships and a reduction in aggression and behavioral problems. Qualified faculty members employ effective teaching strategies like collaborative learning, and project-based, and pay more attention to the interdisciplinary approach. These approaches have a profound impact on the development of young learners such as challenging learner levels, and motivating and inspiring them by making use of their learning styles. Wurdinger Qureshi determined that if faculty members give learners the freedom to shape their learning trip and to work on a relevant and meaningful project to them so it would improve their life skills promptly. However, the life skills development process is intricate and not easy because these skills require time to develop and learners should frame their practice environment outside the higher education institutions [25].

The national educational standards emphasize the expectation that higher education learners must master skills such as prioritizing, proper social skills, and collaboration. It is so difficult that the learners would recognize the approaches of using or administering these skills beyond the educational debates unless oriented intentional instruction was planned for [26]. So, faculty members should encourage students to communicate and participate effectively in collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led). This kind of discussion helps learners to build their personalities, improve language acquisition, to understand skills, and express their ideas, and issues and persuasively.

5. Benefits of improving life skills

Training life skills build learners’ characteristics, emotions, physical health, and management skills like leadership, self-confidence, self-management skills, and maintaining friendships with their friends. There has been more focus on the effect of improving life skills for learners, regardless of their educational level such as providing learners with skills to cope with life change and increasing learners’ motivation, decrease their behavioral and social problems, especially with alcohol and drugs use, and attain socially responsible behavior [27]. In this regard, training life skills influence interpersonal relationships and maintain decent interpersonal commination. Moreover, training life skills improve learners’ ability to involve themselves in life challenges by practicing different opportunities for life experiences. It addresses and incorporates the needs and interests of learners. It is worth noting here that integrating life skills into high education curricula such as speaking out about their ideas, sharing their experience and knowledge, working together with their friends, and decreasing aggressiveness and hostility among learners and felt more satisfied and gratified [28].

Along similar lines, reciprocal reactive life skills training via instruction will definitely assist youth to deal successfully with difficult life situations [29]. In point of fact, life skills close the gap between basic functioning and capabilities. It strengthens and reinforces the ability of an individual to meet the needs, and responds to the demands of present-day society. Thus, a relevant life skills education helps cope with the above issues in a manner to get the desired behavior practical. Moreover, the importance and effectiveness of life skills education in the development of students’ social, emotional, and cognitive development and dealing with their psychosocial problems as issues were carried out by [30]. One key point is that life skills are not important in enhancing the professional development of learners, but enabling them to be adaptive and connect with the environment and foster self-efficacy and self-management [31].

6. Barriers to improving life skills

While it is more difficult to get a job opportunity and to enter the job market since employers focus on how many life skills you acquire such as leadership, management, high-level thinking skills, communication, self-discipline, and teamwork. Although the importance of improving life skills, there are many challenges met by higher education institutions is how to provide those skills and knowledge to learners that will support and sustain them for long-term jobs [32]. Teaching life skills is not an easy educational process because each learner is different which means what is being taught to someone may not be of interest to others. Learners come with different social-economic statuses, different cultural backgrounds, ethics, and values as included by physical, ethnic background, or cultural circumstances and cultural environment. Faculty members should be aware of these differences as they may impede the coexistence process in terms of communication and working with others.

There are several barriers to improving life skills among teachers, education, educational systems, schools, parents, students, and society. Regarding the teachers as a barrier to enhancing learner life skills, teachers sometimes concentrate on transmitting and conveying information to learners because they think knowledge would help learners succeed in the job market [33]. Retaining and comprehension knowledge use the lower- thinking skills level while learners should practice high-ordered thinking skills. High-ordered members tend to implement teachers-centered teaching methods to attain the learning goals and they have to focus on the overload of information in terms of the topic to be covered. Also, instructed topical program is a time box which means it must start and finish at a specific time. Therefore, constraints limit faculty members’ freedom to provide learners with extracurricular activities to flourish their experience. The main obstacle is the learning environment that hinders faulty members’ abilities to use the most effective teaching methods such as a workshop. Today, the increasing population lead create several educational problems like school crowds, insufficient labor, and lack of learning resources and clarification learning materials.

7. Building learners their personalities through Saudi Visions 2030?

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. He also serves as the chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and chairman of the Council of Political and Security Affairs, announcing the Saudi Vision 2030. This vision depends on the three main tenets which are a dynamic and strong society, a prosperous and affluent economy, and an ambitious nation. The Human Capabilities Development Program (HCDP) is the cornerstone and mainstay and plays a significant role in attaining a vibrant society strategy. This program identifies the necessary qualifications for youth learners, who would be active citizens in the local context and be more competitive globally. As mentioned in the HCDP document, the Saudi Government prioritizes preparing citizens with the required life skills, values, and knowledge to position the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a global leader and to compete worldwide. This program achieves three goals which are: “developing a resilient and strong educational base for everyone, preparing for the future labor market locally and globally, and providing lifelong learning opportunities” [33]. The Minister of Education focuses on the development of fundamental and future skills including both hard and soft skills, instilling values in inter-faith and, social backgrounds, and building knowledge for building learner experiences. Also, it identifies serval indicators of meeting the requirements of the future local and global labor markets. Accordingly, it is noted that learners should be prepared for fundamental modern change, and marketplace challenges, and practice the different types of learning strategies. Consequently, faculty members should build learners’ characteristics, values of moderation and tolerance, and management skills.

8. Conclusion

This paper explores the preparation for transformative work environment: faculty member’s responsibilities for promoting life skills among learners at the high education institutions. Findings revealed that the main responsibility of higher education institutions is to prepare learners for professional life by enhancing college students’ life skills through different educational strategies such as project-based learning, workshops, and long and short-term training in the business work environment. Also, faculty members are responsible for developing learners’ efficacy in their lives and about. This study is among the first to investigate, particularly, the preparation for transformative work environment: faculty member’s responsibilities for promoting life skills among learners at the high education institutions in the context of Arab countries.

Acknowledgments

The researcher would like to thank all King Khalid University faculty members who participated in the research.