exploring the mediating role of graduate attributes

Exploring the mediating role of graduate attributes in relation to academic self-directedness in open distance learning Author (corresponding/contact person) Prof Melinde Coetzee (DLitt et Phil) Department of Industrial & Organisational Psychology PO Box 392 University of South Africa Pretoria, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA 0003 Tel : +27 12 429 8204 E-mail: coetzm1@unisa.ac.za ABSTRACT The objective of this study is to add to the extant literature on graduate attributes by examining the mediating role of global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes in the relation between students’ scholarship attributes and their academic self-directedness in a higher education open distance learning (ODL) environment The Graduate Skills and Attributes Scale and Adult Learner Self-directedness Scale were administered to a stratified proportional random sample of N = 1102 undergraduate ODL students in the economic and management sciences field Data analyses consisted of an analysis of correlations and two simple meditational models The results revealed significant direct and indirect effects between the variables The academic self-directedness of the participants was positively influenced by their scholarship, global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes The influence of scholarship attributes on academic self-directedness is significantly mediated through global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes These findings contribute new knowledge that informs the design of teaching and learning activities aimed at enhancing the academic self-directedness of students pursuing educational studies in an ODL environment Keywords: graduate attributes, scholarship, global/moral citizenship, lifelong learning, academic self-directedness, open distance learning Introduction Higher education institutions globally face the challenge of ensuring that their programs of study are relevant to industry and society (Crossman & Clarke, 2010; Gannon & Maher, 2012; Griesel & Parker, 2009) and that their graduates are work ready (employable) and able to add immediate value by participating successfully and innovatively in a more complex work environment (Green, Hammer & Star, 2009; Jackson & Chapman, 2011) A major consequence of the rapidly expanding knowledge economy and the information technology revolution is that higher education providers are expected to incorporate cognitive and social skills in the curriculum that enable graduates to apply their disciplinary knowledge and skills to the benefit of the business (Gamble, Patrick & Peach, 2010; Griesel & Parker, 2009; Jackson & Chapman, 2011) These non-job-specific skills (referred to as industry-relevant generic graduate attributes) are applicable to a range of different work contexts and are regarded important for successful business or professional practice (Barrie, 2006; Griesel & Parker, 2009; Jackson & Chapman, 2011; McNeil, Scicluna, Boyle, Grimm, Gibson & Jones, 2012) Prominent examples of these attributes are critical, lateral and creative thinking skills, initiative and enterprise, problem-solving and decision-making skills, working effectively with others, self-management skills, self-directed learning, ethical practice, a life-long learning orientation, and effectively using information and social media technology to interact and communicate with others (Coetzee, 2012; Griesel & Parker, 2009; Jackson & Chapman, 2011; McNeil, et al., 2012) The cultivation of generic graduate attributes in discipline-specific contexts at different levels of educational complexity are supposed to add to the graduateness of graduates as they are assumed to equip them as scholars, global and moral citizens, life-long learners, and effective members of modern society who can act as agents of social good, change and innovation (Barrie, 2004; Coetzee, 2012; Green et al., 2009; Steur, Jansen, & Hofman, 2012) The objective of this study is to add to the extant literature on graduate attributes in higher education by examining the mediating role of graduate attributes in enhancing open distance learning (ODL) students’ academic self-directedness Globally, open distance learning (ODL) has become a common mode of delivery in higher education (Holtzhausen, 2012) as information and communication technologies have become central to share, spread and exchange knowledge Distance and territorial limits are no longer barriers to commerce, contact between people, or learning in the form of formal or non-formal education (Faber, López & Prescher, 2012) The ODL system is typically characterized by the physical separation of the lecturer and the student Instruction is delivered through a variety of media, including print and other information communication technologies (Jegede, 2009), interactive learning material and blended modalities of learning (Holtzhausen, 2012) Students in an ODL environment learn through self-instruction and material is provided through postal services and/or an electronic medium, which encourage students to independently think and construct knowledge as they study and learn in their own space at their own pace (Goolamally, Yusoff, Subramaniam, & Latif, 2010) Developing students’ graduate attributes in an ODL context have become important because of the high level of academic self-directedness required by the ODL environment (Botha, 2013; Coetzee, 2012; De Ture, 2004; Faber et al., 2012) Self-directed learning, selflearning skills and autonomy appear to be important in dealing successfully with the challenging nature of an ODL experience (De Ture, 2004; Faber et al., 2012) The pass and throughout rates of students in the open and distance learning context have become a major concern in spite of ODL providing open access to and flexible learning options and following a student-centred approach to teaching and learning supported by mechanisms to enable students to succeed (Prinsloo & Subotzky, 2011) Students’ absence from final examinations has been pointed out as a key factor affecting student pass and throughput rates in the ODL institutional context A survey conducted by Tladi (2009) at a South African higher education ODL institution, indicated non-academic, psychological and metacognitive factors as impacting the most on students’ absence from the final examinations Although the Australian National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER, 2003) mentions that graduate attributes enable students to be reflective and self-directed learners, active citizens and community participants, there seems to be a paucity of research on how ODL students’ graduate attributes relate to their academic self-directedness Faber et al (2012) posit in this regard that higher education institutions face the challenge of combining their institutional role of cultivating well-rounded employable graduates with the individual demands and necessities of students to learn in a self-directed manner in an expanding digitally-driven networked global knowledge society The present study examined the mediating role of graduate attributes in enhancing open distance learning (ODL) students’ academic self-directedness The next section of the article gives an overview of the extant research literature on the constructs of graduate attributes and academic self-directedness and leads to the research hypothesis The literature review is followed by the research method for testing the research hypothesis The results are then reported and discussed, followed by a brief summary of the implications for ODL teaching and learning practices Graduate attributes Barrie (2004) differentiates between three overarching enabling graduate attributes that are supported by the development of specific skills and capabilities through the process of higher education: scholarship (an attitude or stance towards knowledge and understanding); global citizenship (an attitude or stance towards the world), and lifelong learning (an attitude or stance towards oneself) Steur et al (2012) add the notion of moral citizenship which refers to students’ moral reasoning capabilities and awareness of their social responsibility toward society Scholarship is cultivated through the ability to link theoretical and functional knowledge in order to conscientiously solve complex problems within organizations and society (Steur et al., 2012) Barrie (2004) posits that graduates should be leaders in the production of new knowledge and understanding through inquiry, critique and synthesis Graduate attributes relating to a scholarly attitude include research skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills, analytical thinking skills, and enterprising skills (Coetzee, 2012; Steur et al., 2012) Underpinned by critical or “higher order” thinking and meta-cognition, these graduate skills relate to being venturesome, creative and proactive in the process of producing a solution to a recognized, yet often ill-defined problem or problematic complex situation (Coetzee, 2012) Critical thinking is also seen as reasonable reflective thinking by means of which discipline-specific knowledge and skills are applied based on one’s own judgment of a situation In the problem-solving and decision-making process, information is analyzed, translated and integrated from different angles in order to reach a conclusion (Phillips & Bond, 2004; Steur et al., 2012) Graduates’ capacity for independent and critical thinking is regarded to be of great importance to employers, and seems to be the skill that most sets apart successful from unsuccessful applicants (Hager, Holland, & Beckett, 2002; Rigby,Wood, Clark-Murphy, Daly, Dixon, Kavanagh, Leveson, Petocz, & Thomas, 2009) Global and moral citizenship refers to the ability to function effectively, efficiently and responsibly as a person in communicating and interacting with people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and authority levels, both globally and locally (Coetzee, 2012) As global citizens, graduates should have international savvy (Crossman & Clarke, 2010) and the capability to contribute to society in a full and meaningful way through their roles as members of local, national, and global communities (Barrie, 2004) Graduate skills that relate to global and moral citizenship include interactive skills, presenting and applying information skills, and ethical and responsible behavior (Coetzee, 2012) Crossman and Clarke (2010) regard the ability to work in intercultural teams as vital because interactive skills impact upon problem-solving, decisionmaking, innovation, negotiation, conflict resolution and financial performance Graduates should also be capable of using information technology to communicate knowledge, facts, ideas, and opinions (oral and written) clearly, respectfully and convincingly with the view to offer solutions for one’s personal benefit, or for the benefit of one’s community or workplace Ethical and responsible behavior involves accepting full responsibility for, and taking the lead in upholding the code of moral beliefs and values of one’s profession, community, and/or workplace in all one does and to exercise moral judgment (Coetzee, 2012) As lifelong learners, graduates should develop a continuous learning orientation and be committed to and capable of continuous reflection for the purpose of furthering their understanding of the world and their place in it (Barrie, 2004; Coetzee, 2012) Steur et al (2012) posit that an attitude towards lifelong learning consist of higher-level cognitive activities, such as connecting new knowledge to what is learned previously and reflecting upon its value and consequences Lifelong learning requires goal-directedness, a cognitive openness toward continuous learning and the willingness to proactively engage in the process of acquiring new knowledge, skills and abilities throughout one’s life and career in reaction to, and in anticipation of, changing technology and performance criteria (Coetzee, 2012) Williams (2012) argues that lifelong learning is fundamental to human evolution and also means life-wide learning, or learning that extends beyond education to all aspects of the learner’s life The notion of developing generic graduate attributes through the education process reflects a simplified mode of theorizing based on the assumptions and methods of cognitive psychology The idea is that individuals are products of the education process, and the understanding is that knowledge is the result of experience leading to the transformation of self or behavior (Bastalich, 2010) Jones (2012) and McNeil et al (2012) also argue that the development of the generic capabilities underpinning graduate attributes through educational programs is best served by learning that is situated and guided by the realistic context and needs of a particular discipline Essential or universally applicable transformations in the capacities or attributes of individuals can only be produced if students gain experience of these graduate attributes in the discipline-specific knowledge contexts they work within or aim to work within (Bastalich, 2010) Barrie (2004) posits that graduate attributes equip graduates with a particular perspective or world-view (a way of relating to the world, or to knowledge, or to themselves) and provide a framework for ongoing learning of new knowledge when learnt and developed as an integral part of discipline-specific knowledge The self-directed, experiential learner lies at the heart of the generic capabilities underpinning graduate attributes (Bastalich, 2010) Self-regulated learning capabilities are therefore seen to complement the development of graduate attributes (Rigby et al., 2009) Research suggests in this regard that the development of graduate attributes is directly motivated and affected by students’ ability to self-regulate their learning (Boekaerts & Cascaller, 2006; Rigby et al., 2009) Self-directed learning assumes learners as active agents of the learning process and thus decenteres the roles of academics and educators (who are seen as facilitators of learning), curricula and pedagogical concerns within the education process (Bastalich, 2010) The development of students’ graduate attributes is seen to require a teaching and learning process that focuses simultaneously on the students’ self-regulation of the learning and motivation processes, as well as triggers in the environmental learning context that affect these processes (Rigby et al., 2009) The notions of graduate attributes and academic self-directedness are therefore understood from a heutagocical teaching and learning perspective which has its roots in the principles of andragogy (adult learning) The goal of the heutagocical approach is that of producing learners who are well-prepared for the super complexities of today’s workplace Heutagogy views learners as being highly autonomous and self-determined Based on principles of double-loop learning and self-reflection, heutagogy focuses on the development of the learner’s capacity and capability to solve real-life problems and reflect on the problemsolving process by questioning personal values, assumptions and beliefs (Blaschke, 2012) From this standpoint, it thus stands to reason that graduate attributes may influence or even strengthen the academic self-directedness of students Academic self-directedness The ODL environment provides an independent mode of study that requires a high level of selfdirected learning (Botha, 2013) Rooted in the principles of andragogy, successful self-directed learning depends on the willingness to engage in individually identified and defined learning activities, a belief of autonomy, an independent search for information (by personally searching and probing for information and facts), and engaging in self-managed, autonomous study (Ainoda, Onishi, & Yashuda, 2005) Self-directed learners are eager to participate in learning opportunities, are ingenious, resourceful and future driven They take responsibility for their learning, can set and chase goals and have acquired the study skills, interest and self- assurance indispensable to their success (Botha, 2013; De Bruin & De Bruin, 2011) Van Schoor (2011) refers to the ability to self-manage the study and learning process in an ODL environment as situated agency Agency represents a cognitive capacity and intentionality to act and take personal control over a situation (Chen, 2006) Haggis (2003) and Kahn, Qualter and Young (2012) also emphasize the importance of considering the complexities of situatedness (location and context) and its interplay with personal factors in explaining student learning At a metacognitive level, the self-directed learner is capable of assessing a situation (i.e the demands of an ODL environment versus the demands of the personal and work environment), and based on an understanding of its demands, making decisions about appropriate actions to perform At an operational level (i.e the academic level), where the actions are performed, the self-directed learner is then capable to draw on a range of academic skills, information and knowledge from prior learning (Van Schoor, 2011) Situated agency in an ODL environment requires what Botha (2013) terms as “academic self-directedness” Botha (2013) identified four cognitive-behavioral capabilities that underpin academic self-directedness: (1) the strategic utilization of traditional officially provided learning resources; (2) a success orientation for ODL; (3) engaged academic activity; and (4) academically motivated behavior The strategic utilization of traditional officially provided learning resources involves the when, how and for what purpose ODL learners in their role as active students utilize the official 10 = 91) The interactive skills, presenting and applying information skills, and ethical and responsible behavior items were clustered to describe the participants’ overall global and moral citizenship attributes (α = 93) Similarly, the goal-directed behavior and continuous learning orientation items were clustered to describe the life-long learning attributes of the participants (α = 91) Academic self-directedness was measured by the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale (ALSDS), developed by Botha (2013) for the higher education ODL context The ALSDS is a self-report measure consisting of sub-scales and 53 items, measuring the following attributes and behaviors: strategic utilization of traditional officially provided resources (e.g study material); engaged academic activity (e.g utilization of time); success orientation for open distance learning; and academically motivated behavior The ALSDS uses a five-point Likerttype behaviorally-anchored format to measure respondents’ responses on each of the items Exploratory factor and Rasch analyses by Coetzee and Botha (2013) provide evidence of the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the ALSDS In terms of the present study, the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for the overall ALSD self-directedness construct was 78 (high) Procedure Ethical clearance and permission to conduct the study were obtained from the management and research ethics committee of the ODL higher education institution that participated in the study Questionnaires were mailed to a stratified proportional random sample (N = 4850) of students enrolled for studies in the College of Economic and Management Sciences during 2011 The sample was stratified by module, qualification, department and school The survey yielded n = 14 1102 useable questionnaires (response rate = 23%) Each questionnaire included a covering letter to obtain informed consent from the participants to use their responses for research purposes only The covering letter explained the purpose of the research, procedure, potential benefits, confidentiality, anonymity, voluntary participation and withdrawal Participants were requested to complete the questionnaires and return them by mail to the researchers using an enclosed return envelope Statistical analyses Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations and Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients) and two simple mediation models with the bootstrapping approach, as described by Preacher and Hayes (2008), were calculated to test the research hypothesis Recognizing that the cross-sectional nature of the research design does not allow for casual inferences from the data analyses (Wu & Zumbo, 2008), the analyses focused on correlational inferences to identify the extent to which the mediator variables (global/moral citizenship and life-long learning) account for the direct and indirect relationship between the independent variable (scholarship) and the dependent variable (academic self-directedness) The study therefore examined the magnitude of the direct and indirect effects (standardized path coefficients) between the variables To establish the unique effect of the mediator variables (global/moral citizenship and life-long learning) on the dependent variable (academic self-directedness), the analyses controlled for the independent variable (scholarship) The analyses also controlled for gender and age Results Correlations 15 Table shows that the GSAS scholarship (r = 33; medium practical effect; p = 00), global/moral citizenship (r = 33; medium practical effect; p = 00) and life-long learning (r = 38; medium practical effect; p = 00) constructs positively and significantly correlated with the ALSD academic self-directedness construct Table Means, Standard Deviations, Cronbach Alpha Coefficients, and Bi-variate Correlations Between the GSAS Scholarship, Global/Moral Citizenship and Life- long Learning Constructs and the ALSD Self-directedness Construct M (SD) α Scholarship Global/moral citizenship Life-long learning Scholarship 4.19 (.24) 91 - Global/moral citizenship 4.53 (.28) 93 85 - Life-long learning 4.46 (.44) 91 81 84 - Academic selfdirectedness 3.56 (.68) 78 33 33 38 Note Correlations are all significant at p = 000 GSAS: Graduate Skills and Attributes Scale ALSD: Adult Learner Self-directedness Scale M: Mean SD: Standard deviation n = 102 Mediation effects As shown in figure 1, the direction of the mediating effect on the relationship between scholarship and academic self-directedness was significant and met the four conditions suggested by Zhou, Hirst, and Shipton (2012) for significant mediating effects: (1) the independent variable (scholarship) was significantly related to the mediator (global/moral citizenship) (.85; p ≤ 01); (2) the independent variable (scholarship) was significantly related to the dependent variable (academic self-directedness) (.18; p ≤ 01); ; (3) the mediator (global/moral citizenship) was 16 significantly related to the dependent variable (academic self-directedness) (.17; p ≤ 01); ; and (4) the independent variable (scholarship) became significantly smaller (partial mediation) when the mediator (global/moral citizenship) was held constant in the equation (.14; p ≤ 01) The global/moral citizenship variable also turned to zero in the equation, indicating a significant mediating effect The more reliable bootstrapping bias-corrected (BC) 95% confidence interval (CI) did not include zero (Shrout & Bolger, 2002), supporting the significant indirect effect of global/moral citizenship (CI: upper limit = 30; lower limit = 06; SE = 04) Global/moral citizenship 85** 17** 18** Scholarship (.14)** Academic self-directedness Figure Mediation model examining the direct and indirect relation of scholarship and academic self-directedness, and the mediation effect of global/moral citizenship **p ≤ 01 Figure shows that although the scholarship attributes did not relate significantly to academic self-directedness, the lifelong learning attributes significantly and partially mediated the relationship between these variables (.28; p ≤ 01) Scholarship had a significant direct effect on life-long learning (.81; p ≤ 01), and life-long learning had a significant direct effect on academic self-directedness (.34; p ≤ 01) The lifelong learning variable also turned to zero in the equation, indicating a significant mediating effect The more reliable bootstrapping bias17 corrected (BC) 95% confidence interval (CI) did not include zero (Shrout & Bolger, 2002), supporting the significant indirect effect of lifelong learning (CI: upper limit = 18; lower limit = -.05; SE = 04) Lifelong learning 81** 34** 05 Scholarship Academic self-directedness (.28)** Figure Mediation model examining the direct and indirect relation of scholarship and academic self-directedness, and the mediation effect of lifelong learning **p = 01 Overall, the results provide supportive evidence for the hypothesis that ODL students’ scholarship attributes relate to their academic self-directedness through their global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes Discussion The results confirm the theoretical link between students’ graduateness attributes (scholarship, global/moral citizenship, and life-long learning) and their academic self-directedness (strategic utilization of traditional officially provided resources; engaged academic activity; success orientation for open distance learning; and academically motivated behavior) The results further support the notion that scholarship attributes (problem-solving and decision-making skills; 18 analytical thinking skills; and enterprising skills) are important factors in understanding students’ ability to demonstrate global/moral citizenship attributes (interactive skills, applying and presenting information skills and ethical/responsible behavior) and lifelong learning attributes (goal-directed behavior and a continuous learning orientation) These graduateness attributes appear to be important to enhance students’ academic self-directedness Steur et al (2012) posit that the development of scholarship attributes is expected to have an overspill to other areas of students’ intellectual development The development of graduates’ scholarship attributes (i.e their problem-solving, information and decision management and lateral thinking/creativity capabilities) also seem to be vital for employers (Jackson & Chapman, 2011) Based on the results of the present study, weaknesses in the scholarship graduate attributes may negatively influence graduates’ global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes, which in turn, may lower their academic self-directedness and success in an ODL environment Critical-reflective thinking is widely considered as a defining characteristic of a university graduate and a cornerstone of scholarship, global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes (Barrie, 2004; Coetzee, 2012; Jackson & Chapman, 2012; Phillips & Bond, 2004; Steur et al., 2012) Research by Coetzee (2013) indicates that well-developed analytical thinking and enterprising skills, and a continuous learning orientation enhance students’ utilization of ODL learning resources A continuous learning orientation also increases students’ success orientation in an ODL environment, while goal-directed behavior and analytical thinking skills enhance their engagement in ODL academic activities Lifelong learning attributes also positively relate to academically motivated behavior in an ODL environment (Coetzee, 2013) Obschonka, Silbereisen and Wasilewski (2012) posit that staying active, being open to the new, 19 and engaging in learning activities may help to maintain or improve personal autonomy and selfdetermination Global/moral citizenship attributes exhibit a significant indirect effect as indicated by the less strong indirect pathway observed between the participants’ scholarship attributes and their academic self-directedness These findings suggest that although high levels of scholarship are important in increasing students’ academic self-directedness, it is also important to develop their global/moral citizenship attributes as these attributes in turn will significantly enhance their academic agency and motivation (self-directedness) in the ODL environment Moral citizenship is associated with a sense of personal and social responsibility (Steur et al., 2012) which may explain the positive influence of this attribute on academic self-directedness Coetzee (2013) found, for example, that analytical thinking skills and ethical/responsible behavior positively predict undergraduate students’ success orientation in an ODL environment Implications for teaching and learning The results of the study point to important teaching and learning strategies that could help adult learners to succeed in an ODL environment while having to juggle the demands of various commitments pertaining to their study, work and family roles The ODL environment requires a high level of self-directed learning Academic self-directedness refers to students’ ability and motivation to succeed in the ODL environment and actively engage in academic activities Students should be guided to develop a sense of responsibility towards their studies, develop clear self-enhancing goals and adopt a continuous learning orientation The results of the present study showed that these attitudes could be strengthened by developing their ability to solve problems and make decisions, and engage in critical, creative thinking and enterprising 20 behaviors In the light of jobs becoming more complex in a knowledge- and technological driven information society, exposing students to a high level and variety of stimulating and challenging real-world related learning and assessment activities seem to be important to improve their scholarship attributes (Crossman & Clarke, 2010) Complex jobs generally require individuals to juggle different tasks, learn a great deal of procedural knowledge, as well as engage in challenging problem-solving to provide new and useful solutions to applied problems (Zhou et al., 2012) A study by Gurses, Acikyildiz, Dogar and Sozbilir (2007) suggests that problem-based learning activities promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills; active participation in the learning process including self-direction, identification of own learning needs, teamwork, creative discussion and learning from peers; and the integration of a variety of knowledge Pfeiffer and Borozan (2011) also emphasize learning through real-world experiences which combine experiences, perceptions, cognitions, and behaviors for the successful achievement of self-regulated learning outcomes Teaching, learning and assessment activities should provide students with opportunities to apply and stretch their capabilities to engage in critical and enterprising cognitive reasoning, solve challenging real-life problems and make decisions in order to stretch or enhance their capabilities to demonstrate global and moral citizenship and lifelong learning attributes These behavioral attributes were shown by the present study to be important to enhance students’ willingness and motivation to demonstrate self-directed academic behaviors in the ODL environment Zhou et al (2012) found that real-world tasks that demand problem-solving capabilities are intrinsically motivating and contribute to an elevated self-belief in the ability to be creative which, in turn, engender creative performance Gamble, Patrick and Peach (2010) state that business leaders cite business acumen and real world experiences as critical for 21 graduates Exposure to real-life experiences appears to give rise to interactive skills, flexibility, open-mindedness, sociability, critical analysis and creativity (Crossman & Clarke, 2010) Coetzee and Botha (2013) furthermore found that learning and study strategies relating to the way students gather and use real-life (factual-practical) and abstract-theoretical information significantly strengthen their engagement with their academic activities and their utilization of ODL academic resources Conclusion The current research examined graduate attributes (global/moral citizenship behavior and lifelong learning) as potential mediators of the relationship between scholarship attributes and ODL students’ academic self-directedness The research literature suggests that the ODL environment poses unique challenges to the adult learner and requires a high level of academic self-directedness The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing students’ global/moral citizenship and lifelong learning orientation attributes in order to enhance their academic agency and motivation (self-directedness) in the ODL environment These attributes appear to be significantly strengthened by well-developed scholarship attributes (problem solving and decision making, analytical thinking skills and enterprising skills) Education and professional practitioners should take note of the importance of well-developed graduate attributes in their teaching and learning design as the results showed that these attributes significantly relate to the level of academic self-directedness in the ODL environment The conclusions about the findings of the study need to be considered in the light of a number of limitations, each suggestive of promising directions in the area of research on enhancing ODL students’ graduate attributes and their academic self-directedness First, the 22 study was cross-sectional in nature and thus the causal direction of relations between the variables cannot be ascertained Longitudinal studies are needed to understand how students’ graduate attributes and academic self-directedness evolve over the course of their undergraduate studies and how these influence their success in an ODL environment Second, the participants in this study were enrolled as undergraduate ODL students in the economic and management sciences field They were mostly early career blacks and females The findings can therefore not be generalized to other educational, occupational, age, race and gender contexts Replication studies, using independent samples drawn from other context are recommended Notwithstanding these limitations, the study contributed valuable information in the light of the paucity of research on the relation between students’ graduate attributes and their academic self-directedness in the ODL context References Ainoda, N., Onishi, H., & Yasuda, Y (2005) Definitions and goals of “self-directed learning” in contemporary medical education literature Annals Academy of Medicine, 34 (8), 515519 Bandura, A (1978) The self system in reciprocal determinism American Psychologist, 33, 344358 Bandura, A (1986) Social foundations of thought and action: a social cognitive theory Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Bandura, A (1989) Human agency in social cognitive theory American Psychologist, 44, 11751184 Bandura, A (1999) Social cognitive theory: an agentic perspective Asian Journal of social Psychology, 2, 21-41 Barrie, S.C (2004) A research-based approach to generic graduate attributes policy Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), 261-275 23 Barrie, S.C (2006) Understanding what we mean by the generic attributes of graduates Higher Education, 51(2), 215-241 Bashrina, O (2009) Student agency and language-learning processes and outcomes in international online environments CALICO Journal, 26 (2), 390-412 Bastalich, W (2010) Knowledge economy and research innovation Studies in Higher Education, 35(7), 845-857 Blaschke, L.M (2012) Heutagogy and lifelong learning: a review of heutagogical practice and self-determined learning The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(1), 1-12 Boekaerts, M., & Cascallar, E (2006) How far have we moved toward the integration of theory and practice in self-regulation? Educational Psychology Review, 18, 199-210 Botha, J (2013) The relationship between adult learner self-directedness and employability attributes – an open distance learning perspective Unpublished master’s research proposal University of South Africa, Pretoria Chen, C.P (2006) Strengthening career human agency Journal of Counseling and Development, 84, 131-138 Coetzee, M (2012) A framework for developing student graduateness and employability in the economic and management sciences at the University of South Africa In Coetzee, M Botha, J., Eccles N., Holtzhausen, N & Nienaber, H (eds) Developing student graduateness and employability: Issues, provocations, theory and practical guidelines (pp 119-152) Randburg: Knowres Coetzee, M (2013) Graduate skills and attributes as predictors of student self-directedness Unpublished research report, University of South Africa, Pretoria Coetzee, M., & Botha, J (2013) Undergraduate students’ self-directedness in relation to their examination preparation styles in Open Distance Learning Educational Research, in review Coetzee, M., & Oosthuizen, R.M (2012) Students’ sense of coherence, study engagement and self-efficacy in relation to their study and employability satisfaction Journal of Psychology in Africa, 22(3), 315-322 24 Converse, P.D., Pathak, J., DePaul-Haddock, A.M., Gotlib, T., & Merdebone, M (2012) Controlling your environment and yourself: Implications for career success Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 148-158 Crossman, E.J & Clarke, M (2010) International experience and graduate employability: stakeholder perceptions on the connection Higher Education, 59, 599-613 De Bruin, K , & De Bruin, G P (2011) Development of the Learner Self-Directedness in the Workplace Scale South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 37(1), 926-936 De Ture, M (2004) Cognitive style and self-efficacy: predicting student success in online distance education The American Journal of Distance Education 18 (1), 21-38 Elder, G.H Jr (1999) Children of the great depression: social change in life experience Boulder, CO: Westview Press Faber, K., López, V., & Prescher, T (2012) ‘i-learn’: developing a new approach in higher education for lifelong learning European Journal of Higher Education, August, 1-16 Fowler, Z (2008) Negotiating the textuality of Further Education: issues of agency and participation, Oxford Review of Education, 34 (4), 425-441 Fuller, B., & Marler, L.E (2009) Change driven by nature: a meta-analytic review of the proactive personality literature Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75, 329-345 Gamble, N., Patrick, C.J., & Peach, D (2010) Internationalising work-intergrated learning: Creating global citizens to meet the economic crisis and the skills shortages Higher Education Research & Development, 29(5), 535-546 Gannon, J.M., & Maher, A (2012) Developing tomorrow’s talent: the case of an undergraduate mentoring programme Education + Training, 54(6), 440-455 Goolamally, N., Yusoff, Y., Subramaniam, T., & Latif, S (2010) Teaching and learning of Technical Subject in an ODL Enviroment Proceedings of Global Learn Asia Pacific 2010 (pp.3927-3932) Available: http://www.editlib.org/p/34479 (accessed on March 2011) Green, W., Hammer, S., & Star, C (2009) Facing up to the challenge: why is it hard to develop graduate attributes? Higher Education Research and Development, 28(1): 17-29 Griesel, H., & Parker, B (2009) Graduate attributes: A baseline study on South African graduates from the perspective of employers Higher Education South Africa and South African Qualifications Authority: Pretoria 25 Gurses, A., Acikyildiz, M., Dogar, C., & Sozbilir, M (2007) An investigation into the effectiveness of problem-based learning in a physical chemistry laboratory course Research in Science & technological Education, 25(1), 99-113 Hager, P., Holland, S., & Beckett, D (2002) Enhancing the learning and employability of graduates: the role of generic skills Business/Higher Education Round Table: B-HERT Position Paper no Haggis, T (2003) Constructing images of ourselves British Educational Research Journal, 29(1), 89-104 Henderson-King, D., & Smith, M (2006) Meanings of education for university students: academic motivation and personal values as predictors Social Psychology of Education 9, 195-221 Holtzhausen, N (2012) Graduateness in the design of a curriculum inan open distance learning environment In Coetzee, M Botha, J., Eccles N., Holtzhausen, N & Nienaber, H (eds) Developing student graduateness and employability: Issues, provocations, theory and practical guidelines (pp 185-206) Randburg: Knowres Jackson, D., & Chapman, E (2011) Non-technical skill gaps in Australian business graduates Education + Training, 54(2/3), 95-113 Jegede, O (2009) From convocation to flexible learning: The role of ODL in community development ODL Occasional Lecture Series 2:12-19 Institute for Open and Distance Learning, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa Jones, A (2012) There is nothing generic about graduate attributes: unpacking the scope of context Journal of Further and Higher Education, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2011.645466 Jones, C., & Healing, G (2010) Net Generation Students: agency and choice and the new technologies Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26, 244-356 Kahn, P., Qualter, A., & Young, R (2012) Structure and agency in learning: a critical realist theory of the development of capacity to reflect on academic practice Higher Education Research & Development, 31(6), 859-971 Luckett, K., & Luckett, T (2009) The development of agency in first generation learners in higher education: a social realist analysis Teaching in Higher Education, 14(5), 469481 26 McNeil, H.P., Scicluna, H.A., Boyle, P., Grimm, M.C., Gibson, K.A., & Jones, P.D (2012) Successful development of generic capabilities in an undergraduate medical education program Higher Education Research & Development, 31(4), 525-539 National Centre for Vocational Education Research (2003) Defining generic skills: at a glance Adelaide: Australian National Training Authority Available: www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr2102b.pdf (Accessed April 2009) Obschonka, M., Silbereisen, R.K., & Wasilewski, J (2012) Constellations of new demands concerning careers and jobs: results from a two-country study on social and economic change Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 211-223 Pfeiffer, S., & Borozan, D (2011).Fitting Kolb’s learning style theory to entrepreneurship learning aims and contents International Journal of Business Research, 11 (2), 216-223 Phillips, V., & Bond, C (2004) Undergraduates’ experiences of critical thinking Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), 277-294 Preacher, K.J., & Hayes, A.F (2008) Asymptotoc and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879-891 Prinsloo, P., & Subotzky, G (2011) Towards a framework and strategy for enhancing student success, retention, graduation and satisfaction at Unisa Final Report Task Team 6, University of South Africa, Pretoria Richardson, G E (2002) The metatheory of resilience and resiliency Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58 (3), 307-321 Rigby, B., Wood, L., Clark-Murphy, M., Daly, A., Dixon, P., Kavanagh, M., Leveson, L., Petocz, P & Thomas, T 2009 Review of Graduate Skills: critical thinking, team work, ethical practice & sustainability Available: http://www.graduateskills.edu.au/literature-review/ (accessed 27 March 2011) Shrout, P.E., & Bolger, N (2002) Mediation in experimental and nonexperimental studies: new procedures and recommendations Psychological Methods, 7(4), 422-445 Seibert, S.E., Crant, J.M., & Kraimer, M.L (1999) Proactive personality and career success Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 416-427 27 Sheldon, K.M (2002) The self-concordance model of healthy goal-striving: When personal goals correctly present the person In E.L Deci & R.M Ryan (eds.), Handbook of selfdetermination research (pp 65-86) Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press Steur, J.M., Jansen, E.P.W.A., & Hofman, W.H.A 2012 Graduateness: an empirical examination of the formative function of university education Higher Education: DOI 10.1007/s10734-012-9533-4 Tladi, L (2009) Unisa exam absence survey report Department of Information and Strategic Analysis, University of South Africa: Pretoria Van Schoor, W.A (2011, June) You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink: The development of transformed situated agency to facilitate the integration of students into institutions Paper presented at the 14th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference, Fremantle, Australia Viljoen, C (2012) First-year students’ intention to stay: engagement and psychological conditions (Unpublished master’s dissertation) North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa William, K.F (2012) Rethinking learning in higher education: viewing the student as social actor Sheffield: Equinox Wu, A.D., & Zumbo, B.D (2008) Understanding and using mediators and moderators Social Indicators Research, 87, 367-392 Zhou, Q., Hirst, G., & Shipton, H (2012) Promoting creativity at work: the role of problemsolving demand Applied Psychology: An International Review, 61(1), 56-80 28 ... aspects of the learner’s life The notion of developing generic graduate attributes through the education process reflects a simplified mode of theorizing based on the assumptions and methods of cognitive... the level of academic self-directedness in the ODL environment The conclusions about the findings of the study need to be considered in the light of a number of limitations, each suggestive of. .. knowledge society The present study examined the mediating role of graduate attributes in enhancing open distance learning (ODL) students’ academic self-directedness The next section of the article