Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-qs9v7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T16:20:18.120Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 17 - The ACT Holistic Framework® of Education and Workplace Success

from Part IV - Rethinking Higher Education Admissions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2020

María Elena Oliveri
Affiliation:
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
Cathy Wendler
Affiliation:
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
Get access

Summary

In this chapter, the relationship between academic and workforce skills is explored. The ultimate goal of academic preparation is to prepare individuals to succeed in the workforce, and therefore more than just academic knowledge is required. Several factors that research has shown helps individuals succeed in higher education and in the workforce are discussed. These factors are classified into a framework called the ACT® Holistic Framework which covers four independent but highly related domains: core academic skills; cross-cutting capabilities; behavioral skills; and education and career navigation. Finally, the chapter describes environmental and technological changes that will require higher education institutions to consider more than the traditional characteristics of prospective students.

Type
Chapter
Information
Higher Education Admissions Practices
An International Perspective
, pp. 307 - 332
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aeppel, T. (2015, March 13). It took the telephone 75 years to do what Angry Birds did in 35 days. But what does that mean? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/03/13/it-took-the-telephone-75-years-to-do-what-angry-birds-did-in-35-days-but-what-does-that-mean/.Google Scholar
Allen, J., & Robbins, S. B. (2008). Prediction of college major persistence based on vocational interests, academic preparation, and first-year academic performance. Research in Higher Education, 49, 6279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-007-9064-5.Google Scholar
Allen, J., & Robbins, S. B. (2010). Effects of interest–major congruence, motivation, and academic performance on timely degree attainment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57, 23. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Asendorpf, J. B., & Wilpers, S. (1998). Personality effects on social relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 15311544. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.6.1531.Google Scholar
Ashton, M. C., Lee, K., Perugini, M., Szarota, P., de Vries, R. E., Di Blas, L., Boies, K., & De Raad, B. (2004). A six-factor structure of personality-descriptive adjectives: Solutions from psycholexical studies in seven languages. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 356366. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.86.2.356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Autor, D. H. & Price, B. (2013). The changing task composition of the US labor market: An update of Autor, Levy, and Murnane (2003). Retrieved from https://economics.mit.edu/files/11600.Google Scholar
Baller, S., Dutta, S., & Lanvin, B. (Eds.). (2016). The global information technology report 2016. Retrieved from www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-information-technology-report-2016.Google Scholar
Bolton, L. R., Becker, L. K., & Barber, L. K. (2010). Big Five trait predictors of differential counterproductive work behavior dimensions. Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 537541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.03.047.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowman, N. A., & Denson, N. (2014). A missing piece of the departure puzzle: Student-institution fit and intent to persist. Research in Higher Education, 55, 123142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162–013-9320-9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brough, P., Timms, C., O’Driscoll, M. P., Kalliuth, T., Siu, O-L, Sit, C., & Lo, D. (2014). Work–life balance: A longitudinal evaluation of a new measure across Australia and New Zealand workers. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25, 27242744. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2014.899262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Camara, W., O’Connor, R., Mattern, K., & Hanson, M. A. (2015). Beyond academics: A holistic framework for enhancing education and workplace success (ACT Research Report Series 2015 No. 4). Iowa City, IA: ACT Inc.Google Scholar
Campbell, J. P. (1990). Modeling the performance prediction problem in industrial and organizational psychology. In Dunnette, M. D. & Hough, L. M. (Eds.). Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (pp. 687732). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.Google Scholar
Carter, S. D. (2002). Matching training methods and factors of cognitive ability: A means to improve training outcomes. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 13, 7188.Google Scholar
Chen, A., & Yao, X. (2015). Socialization tactics, fit perceptions, and college student adjustment. Journal of Career Assessment, 23, 615629. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072714553082.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clinedinst, M., & Koranteng, A. (2017). 2017 State of college admission. Retrieved from www.nacacnet.org/globalassets/documents/publications/research/soca17final.pdf.Google Scholar
Colquitt, J. A., LePine, J. A., & Noe, R. A. (2000). Toward an integrative theory of training motivation: A meta-analytic path analysis of 20 years of research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 678707. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.85.5.678.Google Scholar
Common Core State Standards. (2010). Common core state standards for English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers.Google Scholar
Conley, D. T. (2007). Toward a more comprehensive conception of college readiness. Eugene, OR: Educational Policy Improvement Center.Google Scholar
Conley, D. T. (2008). Rethinking college readinessNew Directions for Higher Education144, 313. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.321.Google Scholar
Cullinane, C., & Montacute, R. (2017). Life lessons: Improving essential life skills for young people. Retrieved from www.suttontrust.com/research-paper/life-lessons/.Google Scholar
de Vries, A., de Vries, R. E., & Born, M. Ph. (2011). Broad versus narrow traits: Conscientiousness and honesty–humility as predictors of academic criteria. European Journal of Personality, 25, 336348. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.795.Google Scholar
Facione, P. A. (1991). Using the California critical thinking skills test in research, evaluation, and assessment. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED337498.pdfGoogle Scholar
Frey, C. B., & Osborne, M. A. (2017). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technological Forecasting and Social Change114, 254280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.08.019.Google Scholar
Grove, A. (2018). What are holistic admissions? At selective colleges, admission is based on more than grades and test scores. Retrieved from www.thoughtco.com/what-are-holistic-admissions-788426.Google Scholar
Gu, M., & Magaziner, J. (2018). The Gaokao: History, reform, and rising international significance of China’s national college entrance examination. Retrieved from https://wenr.wes.org/2016/05/the-gaokao-history-reform-and-international-significance-of-chinas-national-college-entrance-examination.Google Scholar
Hanushek, E. A., & Woessmann, L. (2008). The role of cognitive skills in economic development. Journal of Economic Literature, 46, 607668.Google Scholar
Hart Research Associates. (2010). Raising the bar: Employers’ views on college learning in the wake of the economic downturn. Retrieved from www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2009_EmployerSurvey.pdfGoogle Scholar
Hong, L., & Page, S. E. (2004). Groups of diverse problem solvers can outperform groups of high-ability problem solvers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101(46), 1638516389. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0403723101.Google Scholar
Huffman, W. H., & Huffman, A. H. (2012). Beyond basic study skills: The use of technology for success in college. Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 583590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2011.11.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, N. E. (2005). Are university students’ component reading skills related to their text comprehension and academic achievement? Learning and Individual Differences, 15, 113139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2004.11.001.Google Scholar
Jonassen, D. H., & Kim, B. (2010). Arguing to learn and learning to argue: Design justifications and guidelines. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58, 439457. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423–009-9143-8.Google Scholar
Judge, T. A., Bono, J. E., Ilies, R., & Gerhardt, M. W. (2002). Personality and leadership: a qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 765780. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.765.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Judge, T. A., Rodell, J. B., Klinger, R. L., Simon, L. S., & Crawford, E. R. (2013). Hierarchical representations of the five-factor model of personality in predicting job performance: Integrating three organizing frameworks with two theoretical perspectives. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98, 875925. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033901.Google Scholar
Kalsbeek, D., Sandlin, M., & Sedlacek, W. (2013). Employing noncognitive variables to improve admissions, and increase student diversity and retention. Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly, 1, 132–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/sem3.20016.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koen, J., Klehe, U.-C., Van Vianen, A. E. M., Zikic, J., & Nauta, A. (2010). Job search strategies and reemployment quality: The impact of career adaptability. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77, 126139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2010.02.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kristof-Brown, A. L., Zimmerman, R. D., & Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: A meta-analysis of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58, 28342. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00672.x.Google Scholar
Lanvin, B. & Evans, P. (2018). The global talent competitiveness index 2018. Fontainebleau: INSEAD, Adecco, and HCLI.Google Scholar
Latino, C. A., Way, J., Colbow, A., Bouwers, S., Casillas, A., & McKinniss, T. (2017). The Development of Behavioral Performance Level Descriptors (ACT Research Report Series 2017 No. 7). Iowa City, IA: ACT Inc.Google Scholar
Le, H., Robbins, S. B., & Westrick, P. (2014). Predicting student enrollment and persistence in college STEM fields using an expanded P-E Fit framework: A large-scale multilevel study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99, 915947. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035998.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, K., Ashton, M. C., & de Vries, R. E. (2005). Predicting workplace delinquency and integrity with the HEXACO and five-factor models of personality structure. Human Performance, 18, 179197. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327043hup1802_4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Gore, P. A. (1997). Discriminant and predictive validity of academic self-concept, academic self-efficacy, and mathematics-specific self-efficacy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 44, 307315. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.44.3.307.Google Scholar
Lent, R. W., Taveira, M., Pinto, J. C., Silva, A. D., Blanco, A., Faria, S., & Goncalves, A. M. (2014). Social cognitive predictors of well-being in African college students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 84, 266272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.01.007.Google Scholar
Lievens, F., Ones, D. S., & Dilchert, S. (2009). Personality scales validities increase throughout medical school. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 15141535. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016137.Google Scholar
Lindqvist, E., & Vestman, R. (2011). The labor market returns to cognitive and noncognitive ability: Evidence from the Swedish enlistment. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 3(1), 101128. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.3.1.101.Google Scholar
Lounsbury, J. W., Saudargas, R. A., Gibson, L. W., & Leong, F. T. (2005). An investigation of broad and narrow personality traits in relation to general and domain-specific life satisfaction of college students. Research in Higher Education, 46, 707729. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162–004-4140-6.Google Scholar
McAbee, S. T., Oswald, F. L., & Connelly, B. S. (2014). Bifactor models of personality and college student performance: A broad versus narrow viewEuropean Journal of Personality28, 604619. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.1975.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mattern, K. D., Burrus, J., Camara, W. J., O’Connor, R., Gambrell, J., Hanson, M. A., Casillas, A., & Bobek, B. (2014). Broadening the definition of College and Career Readiness: A Holistic Approach. Iowa City, IA: ACT, Inc.Google Scholar
Mattern, K. D. & Patterson, B. F. (2011). The validity of the SAT for predicting fourth-year grades: 2006 SAT validity sample (College Board Statistical Report 2011-7). New York, NY: The College Board.Google Scholar
Morgeson, F. P., Reider, M. H., & Campion, M. A. (2005). Selecting individuals in team settings: The importance of social skills, personality characteristics, and teamwork knowledge. Personnel Psychology, 58, 583611. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.655.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mount, M. K., Barrick, M. R., & Stewart, G. L. (1998). Five-factor model of personality and performance in jobs involving interpersonal interactions. Human Performance11, 145165. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.1998.9668029.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Research Council. (2013). Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.Google Scholar
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. (2002). P.L. 107-110, 20 U.S.C. § 6319.Google Scholar
Nye, C. D., Su, R., Rounds, J., & Drasgow, F. (2012). Vocational interests and performance a quantitative summary of over 60 years of research. Perspectives on Psychological Science7, 384403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612449021.Google Scholar
Nye, C. D., Su, R., Rounds, J., & Drasgow, F. (2017). Interest congruence and performance: Revisiting recent meta-analytic findings. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 98, 138151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2016.11.002.Google Scholar
Oh, I.-S., Guay, R. P., Kim, K., Harold, C. M., Lee, J.-H., Heo, C.-G., & Shin, K.-H. (2014). Fit happens globally: A meta-analytic comparison of the relationships of person-environment fit dimensions with work attitudes and performance across East Asia, Europe, and North America. Personnel Psychology, 67, 9952. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12026.Google Scholar
Okun, M. A., & Finch, J. F. (1998). The big five personality dimensions and the process of institutional departure. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 23, 233256. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1996.0974.Google Scholar
Oliveri, M. E., & Markle, R. (2017 ). Continuing a culture of evidence: Expanding skills in higher education. (Research Report No. RR-17-09). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. https://doi.org/10.1002/ets2.12137.Google Scholar
Organ, D. W., & Ryan, K. (1995). A meta-analytic review of attitudinal and dispositional predictors of organizational citizenship behavior. Personnel Psychology, 48, 775802.Google Scholar
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2013). OECD skills outlook 2013: First results from the survey of adult skills. Retrieved from www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/oecd-skills-outlook-2013_9789264204256-enGoogle Scholar
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2014). OECD employment outlook. https://doi.org/10.1787/empl_outlook-2014-en.Google Scholar
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2016). Global competency for an inclusive world. Retrieved from http://repositorio.minedu.gob.pe/handle/123456789/4561.Google Scholar
Pace, R. C. (1990). Personalized and depersonalized conflict in small group discussions: An examination of differentiation. Small Group Research, 21, 7996. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496490211006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Page, S. E. (2008). The difference: How the power of diversity creates better groups, firms, schools, and societies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paunonen, S. V., & Ashton, M. C. (2013). On the prediction of academic performance with personality traits: A replication studyJournal of Research in Personality47, 778781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2013.08.003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perez, T., Cromley, J. G., & Kaplan, A. (2014). The role of identity development, values, and costs in college STEM retention. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106, 315329. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034027.Google Scholar
Peterson, C. H., Casillas, A., & Robbins, S. B. (2006). The student readiness inventory and the Big Five: Examining social desirability and college academic performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 41, 663673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.03.006.Google Scholar
Pleitz, J. D., MacDougall, A. E., Terry, R. A., Buckley, M. R., & Campbell, N. J. (2015). Discrepancy between expectations and experiences on college student retention. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 17, 88104. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025115571252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poropat, A. E. (2009). A meta-analysis of the five-factor model of personality and academic performance. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 322338. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014996.Google Scholar
Raelin, J. A., Bailey, M. B., Hamann, J., Pendleton, L. K., Reisberg, R., & Whitman, D. L. (2015). The role of work experience and self-efficacy in STEM student retention. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 26(4), 2950.Google Scholar
Robbins, S. B., Lauver, K., Le, H., Davis, D., Langley, R., & Carlstrom, A. (2004). Do psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 261288. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.2.261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, B. W., Kuncel, N. R., Shiner, R., Caspi, A., & Goldberg, L. R. (2007). The power of personality: The comparative validity of personality traits, socioeconomic status, and cognitive ability for predicting important life outcomes. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 313345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2007.00047.x.Google Scholar
Roberts, R. D., Martin, J. E., & Olaru, G. (2015). A Rosetta Stone for noncognitive skills: Understanding, assessing, and enhancing noncognitive skills in primary and secondary education. Retrieved from www.proexam.org/images/resources/A_Rosetta_Stone_for_Noncognitive_Skills.pdfGoogle Scholar
Roth, P. L., BeVier, C. A., Switzer, F. S. III, & Schippmann, J. S. (1996). Meta-analyzing the relationship between grades and job performanceJournal of Applied Psychology81, 548556. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.81.5.548.Google Scholar
Sackett, P. R., & Walmsley, P. T. (2014). Which personality attributes are most important in the workplace? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9, 538551. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614543972.Google Scholar
Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings. Psychological Bulletin, 124, 262274. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.124.2.262.Google Scholar
Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (2004). General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 162173. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.86.1.162.Google Scholar
Schmitt, N., Keeney, J., Oswald, F. L., Pleskac, T. J., Billington, A. Q., Sinha, R., & Zorzie, M. (2009). Prediction of 4-year college student performance using cognitive and noncognitive predictors and the impact on demographic status of admitted students. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 14791497. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016810.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schoenbach, R., Greenleaf, C., & Murphy, L. (2012). Reading for understanding: How reading apprenticeship improves disciplinary learning in secondary and college classrooms (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Schwab, K. (2016). The Fourth Industrial Revolution. New York, NY: Crown Business.Google Scholar
Simons, T., & Peterson, R. (2000). Task conflict and relationship conflict in top management teams: The pivotal role of intragroup trust. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 102111. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.85.1.102.Google Scholar
Soria, K. M., & Stubblefield, R. (2015). Knowing me, knowing you: Building strengths awareness, belonging, and persistence in higher education. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 17, 351372. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025115575914.Google Scholar
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 6594. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, D. (2014). Factors that influence college completion intention of undergraduate students. Asia-Pacific Educational Research, 23, 225235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-013-0099-4.Google Scholar
Van Iddekinge, C. H., Putka, D. J., & Campbell, J. P. (2011). Reconsidering vocational interests for personnel selection: The validity of an interest-based selection test in relation to job knowledge, job performance, and continuance intentions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 9, 1333. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021193.Google Scholar
von Stumm, S., Hell, B., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2011). The hungry mind: Intellectual curiosity is the third pillar of academic performance. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6, 574588. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611421204.Google Scholar
World Economic Forum (2016). The future of jobs: Employment, skills and workforce strategy for the fourth industrial revolution. Retrieved from www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf.Google Scholar
Wright, S. L., Jenkins-Guarnieri, M. A., & Murdock, J. L. (2013). Career development among first-year college students: College self-efficacy, student persistence, and academic successJournal of Career Development40, 292310.Google Scholar
Yu, K. Y. T. (2016). Inter-relationships among different types of person–environment fit and job satisfaction. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 65, 3865. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12035.Google Scholar
Yue, H. & Fu, X. (2017). Rethinking graduation and time to degree: A fresh perspective. Research in Higher Education, 58, 184213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162–016-9420-4.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×