Students’ experiences of the development of generic competences in the Finnish higher education context – the role of the teaching-learning environment and approaches to learning

ABSTRACT To face the challenges demanded by a changing and uncertain world, it is essential for students to develop generic competences during their studies. However, recent research shows worrying results concerning the development of generic competences among higher education students. This quantitative study explores students’ experiences of the development of generic competences and the connections to the experiences of the teaching-learning environment at a university of applied sciences. Further, the significance of the students’ approaches to learning is examined. Generic competences were examined on two dimensions: (1) constructing and applying knowledge and (2) collaboration and communication. Through a path analysis (N = 191), the study showed that students’ experiences of the interest and relevance of the studies and working-life orientation were directly connected to the development of competence in constructing and applying knowledge. The students’ experiences of peer support were directly connected to the development of competences in collaboration and communication. Some differences were detected in how students who adopted different approaches to learning reported the relations between their experience of the teaching-learning environment and generic competences. The study has implications for the development of teaching-learning environments where pedagogical practices should be in accordance with the expected development of generic competences.