Abstract:

In today's changing socioeconomic and geopolitical landscape, education emerges as a fundamental tool for strengthening society. Both research and policy documents underscore the importance of equipping students with transversal skills to enhance their success in professional and personal spheres. Concurrently, civic competence assumes significance, fostering societal engagement across local, national, and global realms. Through deliberate choices and actions, individuals contribute to creating a cohesive and sustainable environment.

Acknowledging the low levels of self-assessment in students' civic competence, the authors of this study aimed to investigate the correlation between civic competence and initiative, a sub-competency within the domain of entrepreneurship and innovation. The objective was to ascertain whether initiative could potentially enhance civic competence, empowering individuals to recognize opportunities, strategize, act, and reflect effectively.
Consequently, the study formulated three research questions:
1. How do students self-assess their civic competence?
2. How do students self-assess their initiative within the framework of entrepreneurship and innovation competence?
3. What is the interrelationship between the sub-competencies of civic competence and the sub-competency of initiative?

Methods:
Data were collected using self-assesment survey (7-point Likerts scale) developed in the ESF project “Development and implementation of the education quality monitoring system” (8.3.6.2/17/I/001). Survey consists of six transversal competences divided in subocmpetences. This study deals with civic competences and initiative subcompetences from entrepreneurship and innovation competences. In total, 410 last study year bachelor’s students and 173 last study year master’s students. Results were analysed with descriptive statistics. The Spearman rank correlation test was conducted to determine the correlation between students civic competences and initiative. Also, a network analysis was carried out using the glasso (or graphical lasso) procedure to determine a network with edges defined by partial correlation coefficients

Results:
Students have self-assessed their civic competences as underdeveloped. Spearman rank correlation indicates that civic competences and initiative are closely connected. Network analysis indicates that initiative from an entrepreneurial perspective is expected to influence all other subcompetences development.

Keywords:

Education, transversal competences, entrepreneurship competence, innovation competence, civic competence, initiative.