What are skills?
What are skills?
At their most fundamental level, skills are learned abilities to perform tasks or activities competently.
They typically combine cognitive understanding with psychomotor execution, drawing upon knowledge, practice and judgment. Skills are not static; they develop through deliberate practice, feedback and adaptation to context.
Skills can be broadly categorised into:
- Cognitive skills — problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking.
- Physical skills — physical or manual tasks requiring coordination and precision.
- Emotional/interpersonal skills — communication, empathy, teamwork.
- Metacognitive skills — self-awareness, reflection and learning regulation.
For educators, understanding this broader definition is important because it informs how we approach teaching and assessing skill development across a variety of domains.
It is also worth noting that for many general skills, there is likely a combination of skill types involved.
Take making a clay pot...
It is very easy to appreciate the manual (physical) skill and fine motor control involved in making the pot. However, there is also decision making at play (cognitive skill) when choosing the right type of clay or which shaping method to use. The potter may recognise issues in their own technique (metacognitive skills); they may inadvertently overwork the clay and need to avoid this in future. Not to mention the inevitable patience and resilience (emotional skill) required when it all blows up in the kiln!!
Assessing Skill Acquisition
A key question in clinical education is: How do we know when a learner has acquired a certain skill?
Mastery involves not only the ability to perform a procedure or task but also to adapt it appropriately to different clinical contexts.
In the "Lost Art of Clinical Skills", Christopher Feddock (2007) emphasises, “Teaching clinical skills is time-intensive and requires dedicated faculty who are able to demonstrate, teach and provide feedback” (p.277). This highlights the central role of experienced educators in guiding skill development.
Reflection Point:
Think about a skill you teach - which of the skill sets are developed when carrying it out effectively?Can you break it down? Do the different skill sets need different teaching approaches?
How do YOU know when a learner has aquired a certain skill?
