ABSTRACT
The incorporation of skills development within the higher education (HE) curriculum has been heavily promoted in recent years. From the predominantly economic arguments of the Thatcher government to the wider ranging social, individual and economic purposes advocated by Dearing, there has been a perceived need to ensure that all students acquire not just a thorough knowledge of the subject they are studying but also the skills needed to be socially active and fulfilled citizens who are capable of contributing effectively to the economic prosperity of the country. These skills range from the intellectual skills that are more familiar to higher education to the practical and so-called key or transferable skills. The emphasis has been on making the skills development explicit in the curriculum. This has led both to concerns that such developments might be at the expense of academic content/rigour and to some questioning by HE staff themselves as to whether they have the necessary skills to teach skills.
