TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVES ON INTEGRATING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING INTO CLASSROOMS TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
Main Article Content
Abstract
The skills gap is a noticeable issue in many countries, including Vietnam, a developing nation in Asia, where intellectual knowledge gaining seems to be a dominating objective of undergraduate students. To equip students with necessary practical skills for work after graduation, new courses have been developed at a language university in Vietnam. The courses are Presentation Skills, Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution, English for Career Development, and English for Business and Entrepreneurship. All the courses are taught in English and teachers apply Kolb's experiential learning cycle model to develop activities in these classes. The study describes this application and investigates lecturers’ experience in integrating experiential learning into their classrooms to find out benefits and challenges of this process, especially when the teachers were trying to develop students’ employability skills - an important goal of the courses. Analysis of qualitative data from interviews with nine lecturers showed that teachers used a wide variety of experiential learning activities to motivate students as well as assist them to gain knowledge and practical skills. Moreover, with these activities, students were believed to develop important employability skills such as sense making, collaboration or communication skills. The findings suggest that experiential learning is a promising approach to equip students with employability skills before graduation and getting ready for future work.
Keywords
employability skills, skill gaps, skill development, experiential learning
Article Details
References
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Baldwin, C., & Rosier, J. (2017). Growing Future Planners: A Framework for Integrating Experiential Learning into Tertiary Planning Programs. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 37(1), 43–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X16634864
Bi, X. F., & Boo, L. (2025). Workplace Learning for Critical Core Skills Development: Empirical Evidence From Singapore. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 12(3), 316-337. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.12.3.1
Bi, X. F., Tan, B., & Freebody, S. (2023). Critical core skills profiling and development in the Singaporean workforce. The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Hawaii 2023 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 599–617). IAFOR. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2023.50
Boahin, P., & Hofman, A. (2013). A disciplinary perspective of competency-based training on the acquisition of employability skills. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 65(3), 385–401. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2013.834954
Canhoto, A. I., & Murphy, J. (2016). Learning From Simulation Design to Develop Better Experiential Learning Initiatives: An Integrative Approach. Journal of Marketing Education, 38(2), 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475316643746
Chan, C. K. Y. (2012). Exploring an experiential learning project through Kolb’s Learning Theory using a qualitative research method. European Journal of Engineering Education, 37(4), 405–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2012.706596
Chiu, S. K., & Lee, J. (2019). Innovative experiential learning experience: Pedagogical adopting Kolb’s learning cycle at higher education in Hong Kong. Cogent Education, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2019.1644720
Ciarocco, N. J., & Strohmetz, D. B. (2018). The Employable Skills Self-Efficacy Survey: An assessment of skill confidence for psychology undergraduates. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 4(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000102
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2017). Research methods in education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203224342
Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative (Vol. 7). Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Demaria, M., Hodgson, Y., & Czech, D. (2018). Perceptions of Transferable Skills among Biomedical Science Students in the Final- Year of Their Degree: What are the Implications for Graduate Employability? International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 26(7), 11-24. https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85073280527
Dowling, D., Rose, S., & O’Shea, E. (2015). Reconsidering Humanities Programmes in Australian Universities: Embedding a New Approach to Strengthen the Employability of Humanities Graduates by Empowering Them as “Global Citizens”. Social Alternatives, 34(2), 52–62. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/aeipt.209379
Cao, C. G., Tran, T. G., & Phan, T. T. H. (2017). Organizing the Experiential Learning Activities in Teaching Science for General Education in Vietnam. World Journal of Chemical Education, 5(5), 180–184. https://pubs.sciepub.com/wjce/5/5/7/index.html
Gittings, L., Taplin, R., & Kerr, R. (2020). Experiential learning activities in university accounting education: A systematic literature review. Journal of Accounting Education, 52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2020.100680
Guachalla, A., & Gledhill, M. (2019). Co-creating learning experiences to support student employability in travel and tourism. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2019.100210
Huertas-Valdivia, I. (2021). Role-Playing a staffing process: Experiential learning with undergraduate tourism students. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100334
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Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 42(3), 193–212. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2005.17268566
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2013). The Kolb Learning Style Inventory 4.0: Guide to Theory, Psychometrics, Research & Applications. Experience Based Learning Systems. https://learningfromexperience.com/research-library/the-kolb-learning-style-inventory-4-0/
Kolb, A. Y., Kolb, D. A., Passarelli, A., & Sharma, G. (2014). On Becoming an Experiential Educator: The Educator Role Profile. Simulation and Gaming, 45(2), 204–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114534383
Kwon, C. (2019). Verification of the possibility and effectiveness of experiential learning using HMD-based immersive VR technologies. Virtual Reality, 23(1), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-018-0364-1
Lapan, S. D., Quartaroli, M. T., & Riemer, F. J. (Eds.). (2011). Qualitative research: An introduction to methods and designs. John Wiley & Sons.
Lord, R., Lorimer, R., Babraj, J., & Richardson, A. (2019). The role of mock job interviews in enhancing sport students’ employability skills: An example from the UK. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2019.04.001
Lu, H. F. (2021). Enhancing university student employability through practical experiential learning in the sport industry: An industry-academia cooperation case from Taiwan. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100301
Marbach-Ad, G., Hunt, C., & Thompson, K. v. (2019). Exploring the Values Undergraduate Students Attribute to Cross-disciplinary Skills Needed for the Workplace: An Analysis of Five STEM Disciplines. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 28(5), 452–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09778-8
Miller, L., Biggart, A., & Newton, B. (2013). Basic and employability skills. International Journal of Training and Development, 3(17), 173–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12007
Moldovan, L. (2020). A reference framework for continuous improvement of employability assessment. Procedia Manufacturing, 46, 271–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2020.03.040
Morris, T. H. (2020). Experiential learning–a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interactive Learning Environments, 28(8), 1064-1077. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1570279
Ng, P. M., Chan, J. K., Wut, T. M., Lo, M. F., & Szeto, I. (2021). What makes better career opportunities for young graduates? Examining acquired employability skills in higher education institutions. Education+ Training, 63(6), 852-871. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2020-0231
Tran, L. H. N. (2018). The skills gap of Vietnamese graduates and final-year university students. Journal of Education and Work, 31(7–8), 579–594. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2018.1559280
Tran, L. H. N., & Nguyen, T. M. D. (2018). Internship-related learning outcomes and their influential factors: The case of Vietnamese tourism and hospitality students. Education and Training, 60(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-02-2017-0030
Nguyen, V.-T., Hallinger, P., & Showanasai, P. (2024). Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Leading Change for Sustainability in Schools Simulation: A Research and Development Project. Simulation & Gaming, 55(1), 51-81. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781231219929
Nusrat, M., & Sultana, N. (2019). Soft skills for sustainable employment of business graduates of Bangladesh. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 9(3), 264–278. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-01-2018-0002
Overtoom, C. (2000). Employability Skills: An Update. ERIC Digest No. 220. Retrieved on May 15, 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED445236
Pal, J., Stubbs, M., & Lee, A. (2005). Designing a Web-Driven Retail Marketing Simulation. Journal of Marketing Management, 21(7–8), 835–858. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725705774538435
Parlamis, J., & Monnot, M. J. (2019). Getting to the CORE: Putting an end to the term "soft skills". Journal of Management Inquiry, 28(2), 225–227. http://doi.org/10.1177/1056492618818023
Ra, S., Shrestha, U., Khatiwada, S., Yoon, S. W., & Kwon, K. (2019). The rise of technology and impact on skills. International Journal of Training Research, 17(sup1), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2019.1629727
Reedy, A. K., Guerrero Farías, M. L., Reyes, L. H., & Pradilla, D. (2020). Improving employability skills through non-placement work-integrated learning in chemical and food engineering: A case study. Education for Chemical Engineers, 33, 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2020.09.002
Romanova, O. (2022). Embedding Employability Skills into Vocational Education and Training: What Works Best for Students’ Self-Evaluation and Aspirations? Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 13(1), 20–36. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.549462021869378
Gross, Z., & Rutland, S. D. (2017). Experiential learning and values education at a school youth camp: Maintaining Jewish culture and heritage. International Review of Education, 63(1), 29-49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9609-y
Sarfraz, I., Rajendran, D., Hewege, C., & Mohan, M. D. (2018). An exploration of global employability skills: A systematic research review. International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 9(1), 63–88. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJWOE.2018.10012435
Schech, S., Kelton, M., Carati, C., & Kingsmill, V. (2017). Simulating the global workplace for graduate employability. Higher Education Research and Development, 36(7), 1476–1489. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1325856
Schwab, K. (2016, January 14). The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means and how to respond. World Economic Forum. Retrieved on April 9, 2024, from https://www.weforum.org/stories/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/
Svinicki, M. D., & Dixon, N. M. (1987). The Kolb model modified for classroom activities. College Teaching, 35(4), 141–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.1987.9925469
The Government of Singapore. (n.d.). Critical core skills. SSG | Critical Core Skills. Retrieved on February 15, 2023, from https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/skills-framework/criticalcoreskills
Tran, T. T. (2015). Is graduate employability the ‘whole-of-higher-education-issue’? Journal of Education and Work, 28(3), 207–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2014.900167
Yang, H., Cheung, C., & Song, H. (2016). Enhancing the learning and employability of hospitality graduates in China. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 19, 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2016.08.004
Baldwin, C., & Rosier, J. (2017). Growing Future Planners: A Framework for Integrating Experiential Learning into Tertiary Planning Programs. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 37(1), 43–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X16634864
Bi, X. F., & Boo, L. (2025). Workplace Learning for Critical Core Skills Development: Empirical Evidence From Singapore. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 12(3), 316-337. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.12.3.1
Bi, X. F., Tan, B., & Freebody, S. (2023). Critical core skills profiling and development in the Singaporean workforce. The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Hawaii 2023 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 599–617). IAFOR. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2023.50
Boahin, P., & Hofman, A. (2013). A disciplinary perspective of competency-based training on the acquisition of employability skills. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 65(3), 385–401. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2013.834954
Canhoto, A. I., & Murphy, J. (2016). Learning From Simulation Design to Develop Better Experiential Learning Initiatives: An Integrative Approach. Journal of Marketing Education, 38(2), 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475316643746
Chan, C. K. Y. (2012). Exploring an experiential learning project through Kolb’s Learning Theory using a qualitative research method. European Journal of Engineering Education, 37(4), 405–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2012.706596
Chiu, S. K., & Lee, J. (2019). Innovative experiential learning experience: Pedagogical adopting Kolb’s learning cycle at higher education in Hong Kong. Cogent Education, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2019.1644720
Ciarocco, N. J., & Strohmetz, D. B. (2018). The Employable Skills Self-Efficacy Survey: An assessment of skill confidence for psychology undergraduates. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 4(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000102
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2017). Research methods in education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203224342
Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative (Vol. 7). Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Demaria, M., Hodgson, Y., & Czech, D. (2018). Perceptions of Transferable Skills among Biomedical Science Students in the Final- Year of Their Degree: What are the Implications for Graduate Employability? International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 26(7), 11-24. https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85073280527
Dowling, D., Rose, S., & O’Shea, E. (2015). Reconsidering Humanities Programmes in Australian Universities: Embedding a New Approach to Strengthen the Employability of Humanities Graduates by Empowering Them as “Global Citizens”. Social Alternatives, 34(2), 52–62. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/aeipt.209379
Cao, C. G., Tran, T. G., & Phan, T. T. H. (2017). Organizing the Experiential Learning Activities in Teaching Science for General Education in Vietnam. World Journal of Chemical Education, 5(5), 180–184. https://pubs.sciepub.com/wjce/5/5/7/index.html
Gittings, L., Taplin, R., & Kerr, R. (2020). Experiential learning activities in university accounting education: A systematic literature review. Journal of Accounting Education, 52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2020.100680
Guachalla, A., & Gledhill, M. (2019). Co-creating learning experiences to support student employability in travel and tourism. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2019.100210
Huertas-Valdivia, I. (2021). Role-Playing a staffing process: Experiential learning with undergraduate tourism students. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100334
Jackson, D. (2014). Testing a model of undergraduate competence in employability skills and its implications for stakeholders. Journal of Education and Work, 27(2), 220–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2012.718750
Jackson, D. (2015). Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and best practice. Studies in Higher Education, 40(2), 350–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2013.842221
Jacobs, J. (1999). Experiential education: The main dish, not just the side course. Boulder, CO: Association for Experiential Education.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 42(3), 193–212. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2005.17268566
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2013). The Kolb Learning Style Inventory 4.0: Guide to Theory, Psychometrics, Research & Applications. Experience Based Learning Systems. https://learningfromexperience.com/research-library/the-kolb-learning-style-inventory-4-0/
Kolb, A. Y., Kolb, D. A., Passarelli, A., & Sharma, G. (2014). On Becoming an Experiential Educator: The Educator Role Profile. Simulation and Gaming, 45(2), 204–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114534383
Kwon, C. (2019). Verification of the possibility and effectiveness of experiential learning using HMD-based immersive VR technologies. Virtual Reality, 23(1), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-018-0364-1
Lapan, S. D., Quartaroli, M. T., & Riemer, F. J. (Eds.). (2011). Qualitative research: An introduction to methods and designs. John Wiley & Sons.
Lord, R., Lorimer, R., Babraj, J., & Richardson, A. (2019). The role of mock job interviews in enhancing sport students’ employability skills: An example from the UK. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2019.04.001
Lu, H. F. (2021). Enhancing university student employability through practical experiential learning in the sport industry: An industry-academia cooperation case from Taiwan. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100301
Marbach-Ad, G., Hunt, C., & Thompson, K. v. (2019). Exploring the Values Undergraduate Students Attribute to Cross-disciplinary Skills Needed for the Workplace: An Analysis of Five STEM Disciplines. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 28(5), 452–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09778-8
Miller, L., Biggart, A., & Newton, B. (2013). Basic and employability skills. International Journal of Training and Development, 3(17), 173–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12007
Moldovan, L. (2020). A reference framework for continuous improvement of employability assessment. Procedia Manufacturing, 46, 271–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2020.03.040
Morris, T. H. (2020). Experiential learning–a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interactive Learning Environments, 28(8), 1064-1077. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1570279
Ng, P. M., Chan, J. K., Wut, T. M., Lo, M. F., & Szeto, I. (2021). What makes better career opportunities for young graduates? Examining acquired employability skills in higher education institutions. Education+ Training, 63(6), 852-871. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2020-0231
Tran, L. H. N. (2018). The skills gap of Vietnamese graduates and final-year university students. Journal of Education and Work, 31(7–8), 579–594. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2018.1559280
Tran, L. H. N., & Nguyen, T. M. D. (2018). Internship-related learning outcomes and their influential factors: The case of Vietnamese tourism and hospitality students. Education and Training, 60(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-02-2017-0030
Nguyen, V.-T., Hallinger, P., & Showanasai, P. (2024). Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Leading Change for Sustainability in Schools Simulation: A Research and Development Project. Simulation & Gaming, 55(1), 51-81. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781231219929
Nusrat, M., & Sultana, N. (2019). Soft skills for sustainable employment of business graduates of Bangladesh. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 9(3), 264–278. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-01-2018-0002
Overtoom, C. (2000). Employability Skills: An Update. ERIC Digest No. 220. Retrieved on May 15, 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED445236
Pal, J., Stubbs, M., & Lee, A. (2005). Designing a Web-Driven Retail Marketing Simulation. Journal of Marketing Management, 21(7–8), 835–858. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725705774538435
Parlamis, J., & Monnot, M. J. (2019). Getting to the CORE: Putting an end to the term "soft skills". Journal of Management Inquiry, 28(2), 225–227. http://doi.org/10.1177/1056492618818023
Ra, S., Shrestha, U., Khatiwada, S., Yoon, S. W., & Kwon, K. (2019). The rise of technology and impact on skills. International Journal of Training Research, 17(sup1), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2019.1629727
Reedy, A. K., Guerrero Farías, M. L., Reyes, L. H., & Pradilla, D. (2020). Improving employability skills through non-placement work-integrated learning in chemical and food engineering: A case study. Education for Chemical Engineers, 33, 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2020.09.002
Romanova, O. (2022). Embedding Employability Skills into Vocational Education and Training: What Works Best for Students’ Self-Evaluation and Aspirations? Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 13(1), 20–36. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.549462021869378
Gross, Z., & Rutland, S. D. (2017). Experiential learning and values education at a school youth camp: Maintaining Jewish culture and heritage. International Review of Education, 63(1), 29-49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9609-y
Sarfraz, I., Rajendran, D., Hewege, C., & Mohan, M. D. (2018). An exploration of global employability skills: A systematic research review. International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 9(1), 63–88. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJWOE.2018.10012435
Schech, S., Kelton, M., Carati, C., & Kingsmill, V. (2017). Simulating the global workplace for graduate employability. Higher Education Research and Development, 36(7), 1476–1489. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1325856
Schwab, K. (2016, January 14). The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means and how to respond. World Economic Forum. Retrieved on April 9, 2024, from https://www.weforum.org/stories/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/
Svinicki, M. D., & Dixon, N. M. (1987). The Kolb model modified for classroom activities. College Teaching, 35(4), 141–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.1987.9925469
The Government of Singapore. (n.d.). Critical core skills. SSG | Critical Core Skills. Retrieved on February 15, 2023, from https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/skills-framework/criticalcoreskills
Tran, T. T. (2015). Is graduate employability the ‘whole-of-higher-education-issue’? Journal of Education and Work, 28(3), 207–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2014.900167
Yang, H., Cheung, C., & Song, H. (2016). Enhancing the learning and employability of hospitality graduates in China. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 19, 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2016.08.004