No abstract

Future competency is a necessary condition for securing the competency of college students who lead the changed era. Therefore, this study was conducted to derive core competencies reflecting future competencies and to develop diagnostic tools. To this end, the reliability and validity of the draft questionnaire prepared after reviewing previous studies and receiving reviews from experts were secured. The survey was conducted for 983 college students from April 12 to 16, 2021, and the final 75 questionnaires were confirmed through statistical verification. Through the collected data, potential profiles with heterogeneous characteristics based on core competencies were classified into three, and the characteristics of each potential group profile were confirmed. The main analysis results are as follows. First, the five core competencies (humanities competency, communication competency, globalization competency, creativity competency, professionalism competency) consists of 15 sub-competencies and 75 questionnaires. Second, the improved K-University core competency scale has secured validity after verifying the improvement plan through the expert meetings and surveys. Third, based on the improved K-University Core Competency Diagnosis scale, the overall average of core competencies was 3.85, communication competencies 3.99, creativity competency 3.96, humanities competencies 3.85, professionalism competencies 3.85, and globalization competencies 3.58. Furthermore, a total of three analyzing the latent profile through the core competency diagnosis result, a total of three latent profiles (upper group, middle group, and lower group) were identified. Through the analysis results, a new core competency diagnostic scale was developed by reflecting the educational goals, vision, and future capabilities of the university. Through the results of this study, other higher education institutions will also be able to raise their interest in the future competencies of university students and provide competency-based curriculum to enhance the quality and effectiveness of education.

Objectives This study verified the mediating effect of problem-solving ability in the relationship between self-direction and convergent thinking and the moderated mediating effect of social support that modulated the relationship between self-direction and problem-solving ability in college freshmen. Methods This study collected data from 1,988 freshmen at a 4-year A university located in the metropolitan area from June 1 to 7, 2022 using the self-direction scale, problem-solving ability scale, convergent thinking scale, and social support scale, Reliability analysis, frequency analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and moderated mediating effect analysis were conducted. The adjusted mediating effect analysis was analyzed using the Process Macro model 7. Results First, as a result of confirming the interrelationships of the major variables assumed, the correlations among all variables such as self-direction, problem-solving ability, convergence thinking, and social support were statically significant. Second, as a result of verifying the mediating effect of problem-solving ability in the relationship between self-direction and convergence thinking, it was found that problem-solving ability partially mediates the relationship between self-direction and convergence thinking. Third, as a result of verifying the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between self-direction and problem-solving ability, it was found that social support significantly modulated the relationship between self-direction and problem-solving ability. Fourth, as a result of the verification of the moderated mediating effect, it was found that problem-solving ability mediated the relationship between self-direction and convergent thinking, and the moderated mediating effect that social support moderated the relationship between self-directedness and problem-solving ability was significant. Conclusions Through the analysis results, the importance of the freshman entry program and school life application program in higher education institutions was derived, and the necessity of preparing practical measures for this was suggested.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to establish self-direction and learning behavioral strategies as major variables affecting the problem-solving ability of freshmen in college, and to verify the mediating effect of learning behavioral strategies in the relationship between self-direction and problem-solving ability. Methods This study conducted a survey on freshmen who entered a university in Seoul in 2021. The survey period was from June 21 to June 25, 2021, and 1,036 copies were finally included in the analysis, excluding insincere responses from the collected data. Frequency analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed on the collected questionnaire data using SPSS 26.0 program. Results Self-direction and learning behavioral strategies (r=.499, p<.001), self-directedness and problem-solving skills (r=.589, p<.001), and learning behavioral strategies and problem-solving abilities (r=. .453, p<.001) showed a statistically significant quantitative correlation. Also, the partial mediating effect of the learning behavior strategy (Z=14.98, p<.001) on the relationship between self-direction and problem-solving ability was verified. Conclusions The analysis results of this study suggest that it is necessary to prepare a plan to create an educational atmosphere that enhances self-direction and reinforces learning behavioral strategies to improve problem-solving abilities of freshmen in college and applies them to the higher education field.

The purpose of this study was to investigate on self-understanding, self-direction, learning competency, and problem-solving ability of college freshmen, and to investigate the structural relationship between these variables. This study also aims to analyze the influence of selfunderstanding on problem solving ability and to verify the mediating effect of self-direction and learning competency in the relationship between these two variables. In this study, descriptive statistics analysis was performed to confirm the normal distribution of variables. The correlation between the variables was confirmed through correlation analysis. Subsequently, the fitness was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis, and the total effect, direct effect, and indirect effect between each variable were finally verified. To this end, a survey was conducted with 2,860 freshman students; regarding gender, there were 1,464 male students (51.2%) and 1,396 female students (48.8%). There were 1,229 (43.0%) students in science and engineering, 1,105 (38.5%) in humanities and social sciences, and 526 (8.4%) in art and physical education. The main analysis results are as follows. First, it was found that the self-understanding of college freshmen had a significant positive (+) effect on problem solving ability. Second, regarding the relationship between self-understanding and problemsolving ability in college freshmen, self-direction and learning competency were both found to have positive (+) mediating effects. Third, it was found that the parameter of self-direction had a positive (+) effect on learning competencies, and thus the double-mediated effect of the relationship between self-direction and learning competencies of college freshmen and their problem-solving ability was revealed.