Why Are Soft Skills Missing in Today's Applicants
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Murray State University Murray State's Digital Commons Murray State Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2017 Why are Soft kS ills Missing in Today's Applicants Robert Schooley Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/etd Part of the Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, and the Secondary Education Commons Recommended Citation Schooley, Robert, "Why are Soft kS ills Missing in Today's Applicants" (2017). Murray State Theses and Dissertations. 42. https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/etd/42 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Murray State's Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Murray State Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Murray State's Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running Head: WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 1 Why are Soft Skills Missing in Today’s Job Applicants? Brian Schooley Murray State University WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 2 Approval Page The dissertation of Brian Schooley is approved by the Dissertation Committee. _______________________ Dr. Brian Bourke (Chairman) _______________________ Dr. Landon Clark (Committee Member) ___________________________ Mr. Quin Sutton (client) Murray State University 2016-2017 WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 3 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the good Lord for giving me this opportunity to accomplish a life long dream at the University that I love. The next round of love and appreciation goes to my wife and two sons for their encouragement and support. I would next like to thank my parents for instilling in me the work ethic and love of education to complete this process plus all the love, help and encouragement they provided. The professors that helped me throughout this program deserve not only my thanks but eternal gratitude. Mr. Quin Sutton deserves much appreciation for working with me during this process and allowing me to do this research for McCracken County. Thank you to Dr. Landon Clark for serving on my committee and for the valuable input you provided in this process. Lastly, to Dr. Brian Bourke you will always have my admiration, appreciation and friendship. Your approach to this process and guidance helped me complete this daunting task for which I will be eternally grateful. WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 4 Abstract The employers in our country are claiming students are graduating high school and college without the soft skills to succeed in this country’s workforce. This study examined what are soft skills and why are they missing from recent graduates. The study took a historical approach to trace how soft skills have been used and ignored in our nation’s educational history to the point where employers are claiming they are missing in today’s job applicants. The study then conducted focus groups with elementary, middle and high school teachers to assess their ideas on why soft skills are missing or if they believe these skills are missing at all. The study also contacted employers in the Western Kentucky area to assess if they agree with their national colleagues on whether soft skills are missing, who is to blame for them missing and what can be done to correct this problem. The results were transcribed and coded to recognize the main themes of these two groups. The results, analysis and recommendations were presented to the client, McCracken County Schools. The researcher will work with the school district to use these results to establish what can be done to improve soft skills in their graduates. WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 5 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 11 Significance of the Problem .......................................................................................... 12 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................... 13 Setting and Goals of the Client ..................................................................................... 14 Career Pathways ........................................................................................................... 16 Career Pathways Accreditation……………………………………………………......17 Call for Study of Employers Clam that Soft Skills are Lacking in Professionals….…22 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 29 Next Steps ..................................................................................................................... 29 Definitions .................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 32 What are Soft Skills……………………………………………………………...….…33 Lack of Soft Skills a Problem for Employers ............................................................... 33 Plessy vs. Ferguson ....................................................................................................... 39 Progressive Education Movement ................................................................................ 44 John Dewey’s Theories ................................................................................................. 48 Development of Progressive Education in the United States ....................................... 51 Brown vs. Board of Education, Topeka Kansas ........................................................... 53 Elementary Secondary Education Act .......................................................................... 56 Reasons for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ......................................... 57 Parts to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ................................................ 58 Effects of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ............................................. 59 WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 6 No Child Left Behind ................................................................................................... 60 Parts to No Child Left Behind ...................................................................................... 62 Effects of No Child Left Behind ................................................................................... 64 Alfie Kohn on the Importance of Progressive Education in Today’s Schools ............. 65 Technology and the Effects on Soft Skills .................................................................... 70 Next Step is College and Career Readiness and Honing Soft Skills ............................ 72 Chapter 3: Methodology…………………………………………………………………77 Statement of Problem………………………………………………………………..….77 Setting……………………………………………………………………………….….78 Participants………………………………………………………………………….…..79 Sample Selection………………………………………………………………….….…80 Research Design………………………………………………………………….….….83 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………….…...84 Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………..….87 Reliability and Validity………………………..…………………………………….…89 Chapter 4: Data Analysis……………………………………………………………..…94 Introduction………………………………………………………………………….....94 Research Question 1………………………………………………………..………..…94 Ranking of Soft Skills…………………………………………………………...……..95 Work Ethic……………………………………………………………………....……..96 Oral Communication……………………………………………………………….…..97 Teamwork…………………………………………………………………….………..98 Problem Solving/Critical Thinking…………………………………………………….99 WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 7 Leadership…………….……………………………………………………………...100 Written Communication………………………………………………..…...…….….100 Teacher Views on what Employers Want…………………………………….…...…101 Work Ethic...…………………………………………………………………………102 Problem Solving/ Oral Communication…………………………………..……….....102 Teamwork……………………………………………………………………...…….103 Leadership……………………………………………………………………...…….103 Flexibility, Likeability and Commitment……………………………………….……103 Potential Success of Students in the Work Place………………………….…………104 Entitlement……………………………………………………………...……………104 Everyone is a Winner Mentality………………………………………………..……105 Research Question 2…………………………………………………………………106 Ranking Soft Skills……………………………………………………………..……106 Work Ethic………………………………………………………...…………………107 Oral Communication…………………………………………………………………106 Problem Solving/Critical Thinking………………………………………………..…108 Teamwork/Chemistry…………………………………………………………..……110 What Soft Skills are Employers are Looking For……………………………………110 Character……………………………………………………………………….…….110 Humility………………………………………………………………………..…….111 Work Ethic……………………………………………………………………..…….111 Problem Solving/ Critical Thinking…………………………………….……………112 Oral Communication…………………………………………………………………113 WHY ARE SOFT SKILLS MISSING 8 Loyalty……………………………………………………………………………….113 Etiquette………………………………………………………………………..…….113 Results………………………………………………………………………………..114 Employers' Perceptions on Prospective Employees……………………….……...….114 Not Enough Focus……………………………………………………………………114 Entitlement/Everyone is a Winner………………………………………………...…115 Research Question 3……………………………………………………………….…116 Teachers' Perception on What is Hindering Soft Skills……………………………...116 Technology. ………………………………………………………………………....117 Entitlement/Instant Gratification………………………………………………….…118 Lack