Identifying Knowledge and Skills at the “Create” Cognitive Process Dimension for Construction Management Graduates

8 pages•Published: June 2, 2026

Kenneth Sands, Tom Leathem and Richard Burt

Abstract

In developing an academic curriculum, a range of methods for identifying the knowledge and skills of graduates are used. Several approaches rely on the subjective perception of future employers using panels, focus groups, or surveys. However, a more objective method involves the analysis of entry-level job postings. An analysis of 125 entry-level job postings obtained from 58 companies recruiting from a large construction management program in the southeast USA was conducted. Results from a textual analysis of position announcements identified lists of job duties. A total of 1689 job duties were analyzed using qualitative data analysis to identify duties that included Bloom’s action verbs at the “create” level. The most frequently used were prepare, develop, create, and plan. The most frequently used phenomena that entry-level graduates are expected to create are reports, schedules, costs, logs, estimates, change orders, and meeting minutes. The results provide helpful information for identifying the knowledge and skills construction management graduates need upon graduation.

Keyphrases: education, human resource management, personnel, recruitment, training

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference, vol 7, pages 322-329.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/1FFK
	https://doi.org/10.29007/s1ms

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ASC2026:Identifying_Knowledge_Skills_at,
  author    = {Kenneth Sands and Tom Leathem and Richard Burt},
  title     = {Identifying Knowledge and Skills at the “Create” Cognitive Process Dimension for Construction Management Graduates},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference},
  editor    = {Wesley Collins and Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Built Environment},
  volume    = {7},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2632-881X},
  url       = {/publications/paper/1FFK},
  doi       = {10.29007/s1ms},
  pages     = {322-329},
  year      = {2026}}

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