The Effects of Healthcare Major Students' Educational Achievement on Life Competencies

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the level of communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning competencies, academic and English achievement of healthcare major students in university and to determine the effect of three main competencies on their academic and English achievement. Methods: The participants were college students studying in health care related major at a four-year university in D-city who agreed to participate in this study. Some of their data were intentionally excluded as their answers were incomplete or missing and finally 272 surveys were analyzed. Results: It was found that they have high level of general life competencies of which the subcategories are communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning competency. GPA and TOEIC score which are the indicators of academic and English achievement were found to be correlated with the level of three competencies. Self-directed learning competency is assumed to be main cause variable of these achievement. Conclusion: As those students who have higher academic and English achievement also show high level of communication, problem-solving and self-directed learning competency. It is argued that a new curriculum that can contribute to improve communication, problem-solving and self-directed learning competency should be developed and implemented.