Examining Collaborative Skills as a 21st-Century Competency Among Final-Year Undergraduate Students in Pakistan

Abstract

Collaborative skills have emerged as critical 21st-century competencies for undergraduate students, yet few studies have quantitatively assessed these skills, particularly in Pakistani higher education contexts where cultural and pedagogical dynamics differ from Western educational systems. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the collaborative skills of final-year undergraduate students across four dimensions: active listening, communication, decision making, and positive attitude towards teamwork. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed. Using proportionate stratified sampling to ensure representation across faculties, data were collected from 110 final-year (8th semester) undergraduate students at the University of Sargodha, Pakistan. A validated and reliable self-developed questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.910), consisting of 35 items representing the four dimensions of collaborative skills, was administered using a 6-point Likert scale. Overall, students demonstrated satisfactory collaborative skills. Active listening emerged as a particular strength (72% agreement; M = 2.20, SD = 0.78), while positive attitude recorded the highest agreement level (73%; M = 2.17, SD = 0.89). Communication skills showed moderate development (65% agreement; M = 2.32, SD = 0.92). Decision making was the lowest-rated dimension (54% agreement; M = 2.52, SD = 0.83), indicating considerable room for improvement. The findings suggest that final-year Pakistani undergraduates possess foundational collaborative and interpersonal skills, particularly in listening, attitude, and relationship building. However, deliberative collaborative competencies, especially shared decision making, require further pedagogical support. Universities should implement structured collaborative learning activities that explicitly develop decision-making processes and create supportive environments for peer contributions. Cultural tendencies toward hierarchy and respect may contribute to strong listening skills but lower confidence in participating in collaborative decision making.