An exploration of the nature of students' soft skills development in the context of experiential education in contrasting business management undergraduate courses

Higher Education within the UK has been subjected to extensive change since the turn of the twenty-first century. Government intervention, massification, and the standardised measurement of institutions, has resulted in students adopting the role of consumer; seeking a tangible value from their education and a return on their financial investment. Furthermore, the widely-documented skills gap and the expanding demands of employers have prompted institutions and educators to consider a range of innovative pedagogies and programmes. This study explores a specific pedagogic method; experiential education; and the impact this active-learning approach can have upon an undergraduate’s soft skill development. It considers the intersection between contrasting higher educational programmes, employer demands, and student needs. Through a nested case study approach, this naturalistic, constructionist study utilises symbolic interactionism within a thematic analysis of qualitative data. The study explores two groups of undergraduate business management students; one traditional group, and one group of degree apprentices. Through the triangulation (Alvesson, 2003) of teacher field notes, student reflective journals and focus group interviews, the following exploration is undertaken; An exploration of the nature of students’ soft skills development in the context of experiential education in contrasting business management undergraduate courses. The study found that a range of soft skills were developed by undergraduate students through experiential education. The findings determined that soft skills were more deeply and broadly developed within students who: were afforded freedom to act autonomously; focused on experiential projects rather than merely assessments; and who were able to experientially learn, both inside and outside of the classroom. The study also concluded that degree apprenticeships are a convenient vehicle for the development of soft skills within undergraduate business management study. A set of models arise from the study, which might function as a tool for researchers and practitioners, embarking upon practice within the field.