Adult Learners' Perceptions of their own Educational Competencies' Effect on Job Performance.

摘要

A lack of evidence regarding the effect of education on job performance has led stakeholders of post-secondary educational institutions to question the efficacy of education as a human capital investment. In the past 20 years, inconsistencies in the research directly examining the relationship of student learning outcomes applied to successful job performance has raised institutional accountability concerns. Although there seems to be little agreement as to the approach and measurement of educational outcomes, competency methodologies may offer insight into what schooling actually does relative to job performance. Evers and Rush's (1996) Bases of Competence model focused on learner-centered skill development and program-focused outcomes may provide a deeper understanding of the effect education may have on job performance. With adult learners currently representing 33% of the enrolled undergraduates, they play an important role in assessing learning transfer and appraising performance. Using a sample of 92 adult learners currently enrolled in post-secondary education programs, the purpose of this cross sectional, predictive correlational study was to investigate the relationship between educational competencies (managing self, communicating, managing people and task, and mobilizing innovation and change) and job performance in adult learners. Self-reported educational competence was measured with the Making the Match Questionnaire developed by Evers and Rush in 1996. Four areas of self-reported corresponding job performance variables were measured with a researcher-created checklist. A multivariate regression analysis was used to determine how self-reported educational competence scores predicted self-reported job performance. The findings of this study indicated a predictive relationship exists among the four educational competencies and job performance and suggest the viability of an alternative method of measuring investments in HC while addressing adult learners, learning outcomes, and the predictive relationships of educational competencies. The implications of these findings to educational leaders may be a means of addressing curriculum reform and accountability concerns. Recommendations for practice and future research were offered.