The development of project management competence indicators through project-based learning: a mixed-methods study

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) is recognized for its ability to enhance 21st-century soft skills but the existing assessment methods often lack comprehensive indicators and do not integrate cooperative learning (CL) principles. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate personal competence indicators of project management derived from PjBL activities in a university internship class. The process adopted a mixed-method design which included using content analysis of peer reviews. A total of 38 undergraduate students were enrolled in an internship class and the data collected in the process were analyzed for validity and reliability using the Content Validity Index (CVI) and Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR) respectively. The results showed that the important six personal competence domains were leading, effectiveness, professionalism, communication, cognitive ability, and managing. Statistical tests also reported an Item-CVI of 0.78 and a Scale-CVI of 0.80 which reflected strong internal validity. Furthermore, the IRR score of 0.9 signaled high consistency among the evaluators. Communication had the highest scores while leading was the lowest and the trend showed the importance of soft skills among the students. The assessment led to the provision of valid and reliable instruments for lecturers to evaluate soft skills in PjBL activities.