Activities and a Semantic Network Analysis Based on Core Competencies and their Contents

Abstract

In this study, the pattern of core competency-based activities, as well as the contents of the project in core competency in educational institutions (including universities) were reviewed. Data were derived from the search results of the service contract list in the Korea ON-line e-Procurement System (KONEPS) for the past 10 years (2012.9 - 2022.8). Research questions were as follows: (1) What is the pattern of activities based on core competencies in educational institutions including universities? (2) How were the contents and scope of the project in the activities of university core competencies presented in terms of semantic network analysis? A total of 240 contracts, excluding overlapping ones, are worth about 6.076 billion KRW, and since 2018, the number of contracts and the contract amount have increased in earnest compared to the previous period. According to the framework of analysis, first of all, in terms of area, education training accounted for 58.3% with 140 cases, followed by diagnosis (tool development and diagnosis implementation) with 49 cases (20.4%), and the two areas occupied for nearly 80% of the total. In terms of demand for core competencies, higher education accounted for the highest number of contracts (37) in the area of diagnosis (tool development and diagnosis implementation). Next, In terms of the frequency of individual words in the co-occurrence network, development, extra-curricular programs, diagnosis, diagnosis tool, university, analysis, and system were the top keywords. In terms of the frequency of words appearing simultaneously with the word “core competency”, development, diagnosis, university, diagnosis tool, ideal talent, result, analysis, extra-curricular programs, management, and competency based appeared in the above order. At the time of the study, 8 communities were identified along with degree centrality. On the other hand, reliability-validity, education-core competency based, program-linkage, subject-content, and subcompetence-behavioral indicators ranked high in the phi coefficient in terms of the correlation network between the words, diagnosis, system, curriculum, derivation. Ideal talent ranked high in the phi coefficient as words that form pairs with a fixed term core competency. 24 communities were identified along with degree centrality. In light of the research results, discussions centered on the strengthening of alignment with university strategy, along with the consideration of competencies based on the future rather than the present. Lastly, directions for future research were suggested based on the limitations of the current study.