The enhancing students' employability project: literature synthesis of assessment instruments

A synthesis of the engineering education literature was conducted in order identify reliable and valid methods to evaluate students development of professional practice skills. The review was conducted with the goal of developing a coherent program of research to explore the development of our students' professional practice skills over the four years of their undergraduate engineering studies. These items came from general academic self-efficacy scales, design and tinkering self-efficacy scales, communication, teamwork, leadership, sustainability, and other instruments relevant to professional practice. Studies with a social cognitive career theory perspective provided a more holistic focus on persistence and retention, transition into study and employment. A smaller pool of qualitative self-efficacy studies were also identified. These studies formed the basis for the development of an interview protocol to explore the development of professional practice competence