This cluster combines a range of interrelated skills and competencies that empower individuals to understand and control their capabilities and limitations, enhancing their ability to manage activities across various contexts.
As outlined by Līce, et al., (2023), it encompasses skills such as autonomy, self-efficacy, self-awareness, self-control, self-regulation, self-direction, goal achievement, goal orientation, decision-making, motivation, perseverance, planning management, project management, risk management, and resource management. Self-management skills require individuals to act consciously and responsibly, accept feedback, adapt to change, and seek opportunities for personal and professional growth. This alternatively comprises traits like self-discipline and a professional attitude.
Moreover, research points out the significance of purposefulness and perseverance. Purposefulness refers to “the quality of having a sense of direction and a strong motivation to achieve a specific outcome” (Līce, et al., 2023, p. 30). In contrast, perseverance highlights the capacity to store energy over the long term, conquer obstacles, and maintain a solid commitment to reaching goals (Griban et al., 2020, as cited in Līce et al., 2023).
These qualities, purposefulness and perseverance, work together to improve an individual's capacity to not only create goals, but to stick to them while overcoming obstacles along the way. In the dynamic world of STEM, where challenges are commonplace, the fusion of self-management, purposefulness, and perseverance is fundamental in ensuring personal growth and professional success.